Charms of Sweetness
by Mysti Queen
Summary: Charisma lives a happy life with her 2 best half Saiyan friends. Follow her crazy extraordinary life, friendship, romance, drama, triangles and more! TrunksxOC GotenxOC
1. Prologue: New Beginnings

_Author's Note: _HIYA FOLKS! Mysti Queen is back with yet another DBZ ficcy! This story follows along the life of present day Charisma. I hope you guys enjoy. :DDD Well, time to insert that annoying disclaimer!

**Disclaimer:** Mysti Queen doesn't own DBZ or much of anything else. So no lawsuits, no angry mobs, none of that, okies? OKAY!

**_Edit 9/22/11:_** HI AGAIN! It's been so long since I started this fic. I can't believe it's been almost three years already ^_^ Well, I've done some re-editing to this first chapter/prologue. Looking back on it, I don't think it really gave any detailed or sensible information on what caused both Charisma and Trunks' families to meet. It also gives some slight details on Kaylei (Charisma's mom) and her personality, but very slight!

Chapter 1:

Prologue

New Beginnings

Bulma stood outside of her home at the Capsule Corp house on one afternoon. She'd left the house just in time to see the teal blue car that was pulling up to the newly renovated house across the street. She smiled to herself and called to them.

"Hey, neighbors!" she greeted them and waved as they began exiting the car.

A brown haired man stood up out of the car and shut the door. He waved back enthusiastically. "Hey neighbor!"

He hurried over to the passenger side of the car to help his wife step out with their baby daughter in her arms. The couple headed over to where Bulma stood in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Nice to see you again," Bulma said warmly. "So I take it this is the family you were talking about, Mino?"

"Yes," said Mino and he gestured towards the young woman and the blond baby in her arms. "This is my wife, Kaylei."

"Nice to meet you," Kaylei greeted sweetly with a slight nod.

"…And this is our daughter, Charisma," he explained.

"It's nice to meet all of you," Bulma said. "And she's such a cute little girl. "I have a little baby boy that's about her age."

"Really? How nice," Kaylei replied. "This is such a busy looking neighborhood, with the Capsule Corporation around and all."

"You'll get used to it," said Bulma. "It's really nice over here. You're from South City, aren't you? It shouldn't be too different."

"I suppose," Kaylei replied. She bowed at Bulma and looked at her husband. "I'd better head to the house. Charisma has to take her nap. It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Briefs."

"Same here," she replied. "And you can call me Bulma. There's no need for formalities, you know."

"Right," Kaylei responded. "Thank you." Mino and Bulma watched as Kaylei made her way across the street and into the house.

"So are you done moving everything yet?" Bulma asked. "You're new office and everything is all set for you when you come in to work on Monday."

"Yes, we're just about settled in by now," he replied. "I'm really looking forward to working at Capsule Corporation, Bulma. It's quite an honor. I can't thank you and your father enough for accepting me."

"Don't thank us," she said nicely. "You're quite talented. You'll fit in perfectly with the other engineers."

…

After a week or so had passed, Mino was already getting settled into his new position. Bulma noticed Kaylei remaining in the house very often and invited her over for some cake and tea.

"Thank you, Bulma," Kaylei said as she entered the house, cradling her baby girl. "It was nice of you to invite me over to visit. I do get kind of bored sitting in the house while Mino is away."

"I can't in good conscious let you sit there all alone," Bulma explained as she led her to the living room. Bulma's mother sat on a couch playing with Bulma's baby son, Trunks. "This is my mother."

Kaylei waved a hand and smiled warmly. "Nice to meet you!"

Bulma's mother giggled ecstatically and got off the couch with Trunks in her arms. "Nice to meet you, too! So we're neighbors now, huh?" She glanced down at the baby in Kaylei's arms. "What an adorable little girl you've got there!"

"Thank you," Kaylei replied, blushing slightly.

"Well, have a seat! I've prepared tea and sweets for us to enjoy together!" Mrs. Brief said enthusiastically and the three women headed towards a different part of the house. The women spent the rest of their afternoon chatting away about everything until Kaylei was finally beginning to lose her shyness. She figured it was much better to have come over and visit them to sit alone at the house all day as she usually did.

…

Meetings such as these became common during the next few months and even continued long after that. Looking back on it, none of them would've imagined having spent the rest of their lives knowing each other to the point where it felt like having an extended family.

At the end of that first night, Kaylei returned home with Charisma in her arms and brought the baby upstairs to her room. The room was bright and warm, with its blue and pink walls covered in cute little butterflies, bunnies, and strawberries.

Kaylei kissed her baby 'goodnight' and headed back downstairs to find her husband coming in through the front door.

"Hey, dear, how was it?" she asked after greeting him with a kiss.

"It was better than I imagined," he said happily. "I have a feeling that I've found the right place at long last. How was your day?"

Kaylei sighed contently and looked out the window towards the Capsule Corp house across the street. "It was great. The Briefs are such a wonderful family. I have a feeling we're going to be friends for a long time."

* * *

_Sorry its so short but it is the prologue after all :D Maybe I'll add more on to it later. I hope you liked it :)_


	2. Fighter

_Author's Note: _Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad you guys like. I promise you guys you won't be disappoint. I can't promise action this time, but I can promise nice, sweet, cutey stuff. I hope that suits your tastes! Anyways, read on and review for me!

_Chapter 2: _

_The Fighter_

"Tag, you're it!" Charisma laughed, running around from a little dark haired boy about her age. She was a lively four year old girl, with short wavy hair and a grin that could barely fit her small face.

"That's not fair!" the boy whined, nevertheless chasing after her.

"Run, Trunks!" Charisma yelled to her lavender haired friend as she raced past him. "Goten is it!"

"Trunks!" Goten wheezed. "Help me catch her!"

"Don't tell me you can't even catch a girl!" Trunks teased with his arms crossed.

"Yes I can! Watch me!" Goten sped up and did in fact catch up to Charisma. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down to the ground with him. They both hit the grass and Charisma bawled, crawling off of him.

"No fair!" she cried.

"It is fair!" Goten stuck out his tongue.

"No it's not!" Charisma made a sour face.

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not!"

"Trunks!" a stern voice called, silencing them all. Trunks turned to look back.

"Dad," he greeted. "What is it?"

Vegeta glared at the girl and her dark haired friend before looking down at his son. "It's time to finish training."

"But Dad," Trunks protested. "I want to keep playing…"

"No excuses," his father said scornfully. "Training comes first! Now get inside and let's get started!"

Trunks' shoulders fell and he turned to look at his friends. "Bye guys," he said, walking to the house. Vegeta glared at the two one last time before going walking away.

Charisma stared after them with a dumbfounded look. "…What are they gonna do?"

"Didn't you hear?" Goten said. "Trunks is gonna train with his Dad."

"Train?" Charisma repeated, looking to him. "Train for what? What kind of training?"

"Trunks is learning to fight," Goten explained. "I am, too. Gohan is teaching me."

"Oh, but why?"

"To grow up to be strong," Goten answered. "It's fun. Well, at least for me it is. I don't think Trunks likes it so much, though. His dad is scary."

"No kidding," Charisma agreed with a shiver and looking back at the house. "Did you see the way he was looking at us? I thought he was gonna come over here and eat us."

"Yeah…I wouldn't cross him."

Charisma shrugged and turned to Goten. "Training sounds like fun. Can I do it, too? I want to be strong like you guys, too!"

"I don't know, Charisma," Goten said, scratching the back of his head. "You might need to ask your Mommy first. My mommy didn't want me to do it at first."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Gohan says she just doesn't like fighting, but my daddy did like fighting a lot."

"Oh," Charisma said. "Well, when I go home, I'll ask my mommy if she'll let me train, then."

"That's great," Goten said. "Then we'll be able to have fun together!"

"Yeah! I can't wait!"

**...**

"No way, Charisma," her mother, Kaylei said sternly. "Why do you want to learn to fight?"

"Because it's fun," Charisma protested. "Trunks and Goten get to do it. Their mommies let them. Why can't I do it too?"

"Charisma," Kaylei said slowly. She didn't know how to explain it. Her two best friends were Saiyans after all, and Charisma was only a mere human. Charisma was still young and probably wouldn't understand. "They're different. They're…a lot stronger than you. They might hurt you."

"How do you know that they're stronger than me?"

"…Because…I just know it. They already train anyway, so they must be," Kaylei said quickly. "So the answer is no. No more questions, Charisma."

"…Okay," Charisma agreed. She turned around and headed out of the room. She ran down to the lab where her father was working on a metal hunk of some sort. "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" she called. Mino looked down at his daughter.

"Yes, princess," he replied. "Is there something wrong?"

"Yeah," Charisma said gloomily. "Mommy would let me train with the boys."

"Train? You mean like fighting?"

"Yeah!" Charisma said. "They're gonna grow up to be big and strong and I want to be big and strong too!"

Mino thought about it and nodded. "I think that's a great idea."

Charisma smiled and hugged her father. "I knew Mommy was wrong!" Before Mino could say anything, Charisma ran back upstairs. "Mommy! Mommy!" Charisma cried running back into the kitchen, where her mom now sat at the table. Charisma grabbed onto the edge of the wooden table. "Mommy, Daddy says that I can train with Trunks and Goten."

Kaylei nearly spat out her drink and startled Charisma. "Honey…" Kaylei began but instead stood up and ran to the basement. Charisma's eyes followed her until she left. Charisma jumped up and down happily and headed upstairs to her bedroom.

"Talk to me, mister!" Kaylei growled, slamming her hand on the metal desk and startling Mino nearly out of his toupee.

"About what?" he asked, perplexed.

"You said okay? You're okay with our only 4 year old human daughter training with two Saiyan boys? That's what! Talk to me! What were you thinking?"

The dark haired man rubbed his eyes and stood up. "I know what I'm thinking, Kay. The boys are young. They can't possibly be so strong that they'll already be able to injure Charisma. And I'm thinking about her future, as well. If she trains now, she'll be one strong woman. We won't have to worry about her running into thugs at night or anything."

"But she's only human," Kaylei retorted. "And she's female!"

"That's my point," Mino said calmly. "She has those two things against her. Training with the Saiyans will make her a powerful adult. She may not become as strong as Krillin or Yamcha, but she'll be more or less in their league. Come on, we can't let her pass up an opportunity like this."

Kaylei considered that and finally caved in. "Fine. I'll talk to Bulma and Chi-Chi about it. They'll need to talk to their boys about how to treat my girl while training. But she's definitely not going to count on Vegeta as her trainer, I'll tell you that. I can only trust Gohan to take care of her."

"That's a good idea," Mino smiled, sitting back down and getting back to work. Kaylei went up to the kitchen to call Bulma and let her know.

**...**

"Yay!" Goten cried happily, hugging onto Charisma. "It's going to be a lot more fun with you to train with me, Charisma!"

Charisma arrived at Gohan's house and was ready to begin training. "Trunks was pretty shocked when I told him," the girl explained. "He doesn't think a girl can be a strong as a boy. But he can't count me out yet. I'm not an ordinary girl."

"Yeah," Goten agreed. "Besides, Gohan is a good teacher!"

Kaylei was inside of the house talking to Chi-Chi. "Please, remind Goten."

"Don't worry so much, Kaylei," Chi-Chi said confidently. "Gohan will keep an eye on them and he'll make sure that Goten isn't too rough with her."

"Thank you, Chi-Chi," Kaylei said, waving at the woman. "I better get going. I'll see you soon."

Kaylei stepped outside and found Gohan talking to his brother and Charisma. Kaylei walked up to the 16 year-old half Saiyan. "Thank you, Gohan," Kaylei said nicely. "Please, take good care of her."

"I will," Gohan replied. "I promise, Kaylei."

Kaylei smiled and went over to her daughter. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah!" Charisma said with the outmost optimism. "Thanks for letting me do this, Mommy! And tell Daddy I said 'thanks' too!"

"Sure thing, sweetie," Kaylei said, rubbing her daughters head. "I have to go now. I'll be back to pick you up later. Give me a kiss." She bent down and they kissed the others cheek.

"Bye Mom!" Kaylei hopped on a small plane and darted off into the sky. Charisma stared up to the sky and watched at her mother soon disappeared.

"Let's get started," Gohan said. "Are you ready Goten?"

"Yeah, Gohan!" Goten said cheerfully.

"Charisma?"

Charisma grinned and nodded her head eagerly. "Yes I am!"

* * *

_Kids...aren't they too cute? (Well some of them...) Anyway, review me please!_


	3. School Daze

_Chapter 3:_

_School Daze_

"Can I go home now?"

"NO!"

Charisma's shoulders fell. She sat in the back of her parents' car with Trunks beside her. The two were dressed up in school uniforms, heading off to the boring wasteland for kids.

"Goten is so lucky," Trunks grumbled, folding his arms. "He gets to stay at home and not go to school…"

"Actually," Kaylei said, turning around from the passenger side seat to look at the two. "Goten isn't lucky. He has to stay at home, alone in his room, and learn there. You two, on the other hand, get to go to school and meet a lot of new people and make friends."

"…I guess," Charisma said gloomily. She shrugged and looked at Trunks. "At least we can be in the same class this year."

"Yeah, I guess so," he replied.

"And at least I'll get to see Misa again," Charisma said brightly. "And the others, too."

Charisma was the one who made most friends between her and Trunks. Trunks wasn't much of a social person. On his first day of school in kindergarten, he made a glue ball with napkins and newspapers and threw it a little boy in his class. He was given a 7 minute time out and sent home with a note on his book bag. After that, Bulma grounded him for 2 weeks and he wasn't given dessert for that time.

Finally, the small car pulled up in front of the large Orange Star Elementary School. After bidding farewell to her parents, Charisma and Trunks headed out of the car and toward the front of the school, where most students were standing.

"I don't see Misa anywhere, do you?" Charisma asked Trunks as they walked past crowds of kids.

"No, I don't," he said coldly.

"Come on," Charisma said. "Just because you don't have any friends to meet up with doesn't mean you can be all sad."

"I'm not sad!" Trunks retorted.

"Charisma!"

Charisma turned around and giggled. "Misa!"

A girl at exactly Charisma's height ran over. She had big green eyes and dark purple hair that ran down her back. The two girls hugged and Misa saw Trunks from behind the blonde girl's shoulder.

"Hi!" she said cheerfully, walking over to the boy. "Good to see you're here, Trunks!"

"Whatever," he said lowly.

Misa giggled and turned to the girl. "Aren't we lucky…?"

"You mean to be in the same class!" Charisma ended the sentence. "Yes we are! We're gonna have fun this year!"

"We always have fun," Misa said gleefully.

"Yeah, we do!" Charisma replied. Trunks growled suddenly, startling the girls and headed toward the door. It finally opened and students began pouring into the halls. Misa and Charisma walked together, arm in arm.

After school, Charisma, Trunks, and a few of Charisma's friends stood at the front of the school, waiting for their parents to pick them up. Misa, of course, was one of them.

"Today was a lot of fun," Misa said. "I'm glad we didn't get homework."

"Yeah, me too," Charisma agreed. "Hey, we should get together sometime at my house!"

"That sounds great!" Misa said cheerfully. "I'll ask my mom!"

"Awesome!" Charisma chirped.

A white car pulled up and a few of Charisma and Misa's friends hopped in, waving at the girls through the window. After a few more minutes, the last two members of Charisma and Misa's circle of friends left with their parents as well. Misa and Charisma continued talking until finally it was Misa's turn to leave.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Charisma!" she said as she jumped into the car. "Bye Trunks!"

Trunks huffed in response and watched as the car drove away. Charisma sighed continued smiling cheerfully. "What are you so happy about?" Trunks asked crossly.

"Nothing much," replied Charisma, never wiping the smile from her face. "I just had a great day."

"Well, I didn't," Trunks growled. He seriously looked just like his father.

"That's because you were grouchy the whole day," Charisma said. "You need to be more of a friendly. Smile more. If not, you'll never make any friends."

Trunks didn't reply to that. Before he could say anything, Charisma's parents arrived. The two hopped into the car and Charisma was the only one who answered her parents' questions. Trunks remained aloof, like always.

…

"I wish I could go to school with you guys," Goten said. He sat on the grassy yard of Trunks' house with Trunks. Charisma was standing a short distance away and blowing bubbles.

"I do, too," Trunks said. "I don't like any of those kids. I'm always alone."

"What about Charisma?" Goten asked. "Isn't she with you?"

"Yeah," Trunks said but shook his head. "But she's too busy with her friends. Besides, she's a girl. She doesn't really like it when I fart or burp."

"She used to!" Goten said brightly, but then lowered his eyes sadly. "Until she met Misa."

Charisma was slightly tomboy. After all, she did grow up with two boys as best friends and no girls. Once she started school and met Misa, however, Charisma was becoming more feminine as time went by. She was still into action figures and super heroes like Goten and Trunks were, but she wasn't a fan of bodily gas nor was she fond of guys that stuck straws and pencils into their nostrils.

"Look at her," Trunks growled lowly at Goten with his blue eyes fixed on Charisma. "She's such a…girl…"

"…Yeah," Goten replied and then looked at Trunks. "But she's our friend. So what if she's a girl."

"I'm not saying we shouldn't be friends with her," Trunks said defensively. "I'm just saying that we should teach her to be a guy."

"…Oh…" Goten said slowly. "How are we gonna do that?"

"I have a plan," Trunks said, standing up. "Charisma! Come over here!"

Charisma smiled at her friends and closed her bubble bottle. "What is it?" she said as she came up to them. Trunks grinned at her sinisterly.

…

"But guys," Charisma whined with her eyebrows curved downward. She stood inside Trunks' room with Trunks and Goten. "I like being a girl. It's fun…"

"That's what you think," Trunks said. "You think being a girl is fun. You probably think make up and tea sets and little dollies are fun, too, don't you?"

Charisma nodded with her lips in a slight pout. "…Yeah, I do. It _is_ fun…"

"Well, if you think that's fun," Trunks informed her with a confident smirk. "They you'll like being a guy. Being a boy is a lot more…fun…"

"How is it more fun?" she asked.

Trunks looked to Goten. Goten shrugged. "I don't know…it just is."

"Oh," Charisma said, going to take a seat on Trunks' bed.

"First thing we need to do," Trunks said, grabbing a pair of scissors. "…is to cut all of your hair off!"

"My hair?" Charisma repeated, grabbing onto her locks. "But I like my hair! It's nice and long and pretty!"

"That's why we need to cut it," Goten said. "Boys don't have long hair!"

"That's not true!" Charisma retorted, standing up to move away from the guys. "I've seen boys at school with long hair!"

"But their hair isn't so shiny," Trunks replied. "Shiny, long hair is a girly thing."

Charisma groaned and ran to the doorway. "No way!" she yelled. "I'm not gonna let you!"

Trunks sighed and walked over to the girl, still with the small pair of scissors in his hand. She backed away like a scared puppy. "Come on! Don't be such a girl!"

"But I am a girl!"

"But we want you to be a boy!" Trunks said. "Boys are cool!"

"No they're not!" Charisma screamed. "I like being a girl! I don't need two stupid smelly boys to be my friends!" Charisma turned around and ran out of the room.

"Charisma, wait!" Goten called to her. He turned to Trunks with a frown on his face. "I think we made her sad…"

…

"They said that?"

"Yeah!" Charisma cried to her mother. She had run outside and ran home after the incident with Goten and Trunks. She sat on her mom's lap and held on to her. "They wanted to cut my hair but I didn't let them and then they said that boys are better than girls and that boys are more fun!"

"Don't listen to them," Kaylei said softly. "They don't know what they're talking about. It doesn't matter who or what a person is. What matters is the type of person they are, and you're a good girl, Charisma. You're a good friend."

There was a knock on the door and Kaylei looked down at her daughter. "Wait here, okay?" Charisma got off of her mom's lap and sat on the chair. "Charisma?" Kaylei called to her daughter as she re-entered the room. "There's someone here to see you."

"Who?"

Trunks and Goten entered the room slowly, followed by Bulma. "Boys," Bulma said to them sternly. "Don't you have something you'd like to say?"

Trunks and Goten looked at each other. "We're sorry, Charisma," they chorused. "We accept you for who you are, not what you are."

Charisma wiped her eyes and stood up. "I accept your apology, boys."

"Isn't that cute?" Bulma smirked. "This won't happen again, ever, will it, boys?"

Trunks and Goten looked at the ground and nodded. "No ma'am."

"Good," Bulma said, smiling at Charisma.

Kaylei and Bulma walked out of the room and began talking. There was an uncomfortable silence within the three friends. Finally, after a few seconds, Goten spoke up and ran up to Charisma.

"I'm sorry, Charisma!" he cried and wrapped his arms around her.

Charisma giggled and patted his back. "I said I forgive you, Goten."

"Yeah, I know," Goten said letting go of her and looking at her. "I didn't want to change you. It was all Trunks' idea. I think you're a cool girl."

"Thanks!"

Trunks remained silent. Goten went up to him and patted his back. "You have to say sorry! You're mom forced us to say sorry now you have to say it by yourself!" Charisma watched as Trunks struggled to say it. Gosh, he was such a stubborn kid. With parents like Bulma and Vegeta, how could he not be?

"It's okay, Trunks," Charisma said, reliving the obvious tension in the little boy's face. "I forgive you." Trunks smiled at her. "Yay! Charisma cheered. "Best friends forever!" She glomped both of the boys and laughed.

…

Months passed and Trunks and Charisma went through school with little trouble. Charisma's birthday was approaching and Bulma offered to let Charisma throw her party at the Capsule Corp house.

"I'm going to invite everyone from my class!" Charisma told Goten and Trunks as she swung on the swing outside in her backyard.

"What about me?" Goten asked her.

"Of course, I'll invite you!" Charisma said with a giggle. "You're one of my bestest friends in the world. It's not a party without you, Goten."

"Yay!" Goten cheered and went back to pushing Charisma's swing.

"We're gonna have fun!" Charisma said happily. "What are you guys gonna get for me?"

"I don't know," Goten said. "But it's gonna be something really nice that you'll really like."

"Yeah," agreed Trunks. To be honest, he didn't have the slightest idea of what to get her.

"Sounds good," Charisma said smiling. She stopped the swing and jumped off. "I can't wait!"

After a week, the time for Charisma's birthday party was here. The yard of the Brief house was filled with balloons and streamers and children. There were horse rides and clowns and magicians. Charisma's parents spared no expense in making sure that their daughter would have yet another great birthday party, but this year they definitely out did themselves.

"Time to open presents!" Kaylei called out to the children. Most of them had already been eating the cake, and the others that had wandered off to play came over and sat at the large table. Charisma opened present after present. She received clothes, earrings, make up, dolls, and other stuff any regular 8 year-old girl would love.

"Two presents left!" Kaylei said. "Here you go! It's a pretty big one." She struggled to push a large box over to where Charisma sat. Charisma gasped and the others cooed. She stood up and opened it, pulling out the large teddy bear without a problem. It was bigger than Charisma, Trunks, and Goten put together.

"Whose gift is this?" Charisma laughed with rosy cheeks.

"Mine!" Goten said as he waved his hand around wildly in the air. "Mom, Gohan and me looked around everywhere to find it!"

"Thanks a lot!" Charisma said happily. "I love it!"

"Time for the last gift," Kaylei said, handing over a small box to Charisma.

"Oh," Charisma said. She removed the gift wrap from the box and opened it.

"Isn't that cute?" Kaylei said with a smile. "It's a little bracelet! Who's it from?"

"It's from my son and me," Bulma announced. "I know that no girl can resist jewelry."

Charisma smiled at both of them. "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome," she replied, patting the girl's head. "Let me help you put it on." Bulma did so and Charisma stared at the bracelet on her wrist with big eyes. She leaned toward Trunks, who sat to her left. "…Why does it…look so plain?"

"What do you mean?" he asked. "Don't you like it?"

"Well yeah," she responded. "…But there's nothing on it. It looks like a regular chain."

"It's a charm bracelet," Bulma said out loud. She handed over something to Trunks. "Give it to her."

Trunks turned to Charisma and signaled for her to hold out her hand. Trunks placed the thing in her palm. Charisma withdrew her hand and opened up her fist. "A charm?" Charisma said happily. "…It's a strawberry!" Charisma stood up and gave a warm hug to Trunks. "I love it! Thanks! Thank you for the gifts everyone!"

"I want you to always remember me, Charisma," said Trunks, with his eyes cast to the side and blushing slightly. "I probably don't say this enough but, I'm glad we're friends."

Charisma blushed and embraced him again. She let go of him and stared down at her charm bracelet. "I'm glad you're my friend, too, Trunks. I'll never take this bracelet off."


	4. Tournament Time

_Author's Note: _Thanks so much for the reviews. It took a while, but I think this story is finally catching on. I was seriously so close to deleting it but my friend told me not to and I'm glad I listened. Well, I don't know what to say except that this chapter takes place during the World Martial Arts Tournaments. Only I added my own miniature moments to it, along with some extra dialogue. I hope you like and don't forget to review!

Chapter 4:

Tournament Time

"So both of you can turn Super Saiyan? AWESOME!"

Charisma walked with Goten and Trunks through the crowds of people. It was the day of the World Martial Arts Tournament and naturally, the gang was bound to join. Vegeta, Krillin, Android 18, Piccolo, and Gohan decided to join. Trunks and Goten also decided to join in. Even Goku was going to participate, using the one day he earned to come back to Earth. Charisma had to beg her parents endlessly day and night, until they finally agreed to let her fight. After all, martial arts wasn't something they had planned for their only daughter to become involved in. Her parents couldn't make it to watch her fight today, but she was under the watchful eye of Bulma.

"Gohan was surprised," said Goten with a grin. "He thought he was the only person who could become a Super Saiyan kid!"

"My dad was shocked, too," added Trunks with a slightly smug tone. "But I know that he was impressed, too."

Charisma sighed and looked to the ground. "You guys are so lucky. I wish I could become Super Saiyan, too…" She was interrupted by the loud happy screams of the people around.

Almost instantly, they ran off and disappeared in the distance, shouting, "Yay! It's Mr. Satan!"

"Who's that?" asked Charisma.

"Some jerk," Trunks grumbled, crossing his arms. "He's not important. I could beat his butt with my hands tied."

"Gohan is friends with his daughter," said Goten.

"Cool!" said Charisma with her usually perkiness. "Didn't I hear Gohan say that your Dad is coming, too?"

"Yeah! He is!"

Charisma looked around. "I wonder where he is. I'd really like to meet him…"

"Hey guys," a bright voice said.

"Goku!"

Most of the gang began to tear up when they realized that it was really him. It had been a long seven years since he had gone, and many things had changed on Earth. After meeting and greeting, the group finally moved on to register. The enrollment process was quick and easy. Trunks, Goten, and Charisma were unexpectedly place in the Junior Division. Trunks didn't like that at all and protested, but nothing could be done. Bulma thought it would be a good idea anyway.

Finally, it was time for the contestants to make their ways to the waiting area. The group bid each other farewell before departing and the fighters made their way to the main building. It was a long walk and many other contestants were showing off to the cameras and crowds. The three young friends walked slightly ahead of the others, Charisma being the most talkative of them all.

"Hey Goten," Trunks deadpanned. "Your dead father looks a lot like you…"

"Huh?"

"Yeah!" Charisma agreed, looking back at Goku and then back at her friend. "That's true! There's no denying it!"

"You think so?" Goten asked, as they all looked back at Goku, who was talking with Gohan and Krillin.

"Yup," Charisma bobbed her head up and down jovially.

"I don't think he looks all that tough," Trunks snorted, looking forward again. "I bet my dad can beat him no sweat."

"But Gohan says my dad was the strongest in the whole universe," Goten protested.

"I guess we'll see soon enough," said Charisma with a sigh. "But I really wish Misa could've been here…"

"Huh? I thought she was coming," said Goten.

"She was," answered Charisma, with a pout. "But then she asked her mom and her mom said 'no.' …Whew…Mothers…"

"Yeah," Goten agreed. "My mom can be like that, too…"

"And mine, too. But hey, at least my dad understands!" Charisma cheered up. "Too bad they're not gonna be here either…but they promised to watch me on TV…"

"That's if you even make it to finals," scoffed Trunks.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded with her hands on her hips and scowl.

Trunks turned to look at her. "I mean, you're a girl. I'll be surprised if you make it to the finals, past the first round even."

"Hey, listen," she growled. "If I can spar with you guys and hold my own, then I'm sure I can handle some regular muscle headed Earth boys, no sweat."

"That's true," agreed Goten, putting a friendly arm around the girl. "You are strong, Charisma."

"Yeah!" she chirped and patted her friend. "Thanks! At least some one here knows how to be friend!" Trunks snarled and looked forward.

"Whatever…" he muttered.

After a few more minutes of walking, they finally reached the main building where they were interviewed and then directed toward the locker rooms. Charisma stared at all of the contestants.

"Am I the only girl participating here?" she asked to no one in particular. Her voice faltered slightly off its usual cheerful tone.

"Videl is going to fight, too," informed Goten. "You're not alone…"

"Well, it feels like I am," Charisma said discouragingly. "I don't know why they didn't send me to the girls' locker room…" She grabbed Goten by the wrist and dragged him with her. "Let's go to the corner. Cover me, okay?"

They stopped at the corner and Charisma opened a locker and put her things in there. She picked up a towel and gave it to Goten.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"So you can cover me," she said. "Now hold it up so that I'm completely covered, except for my feet. Can you do that?"

"Sure," he agreed. Charisma quickly dressed up in black shorts and a sky blue tank top.

"OKIES!" she took the towel and offered to help him cover as well.

"Don't worry, I'm fighting like this," he said grabbing onto his orange and blue gi. "I like looking like my dad."

Charisma smiled and nodded. "That's great!"

"Let's go!" Trunks called to them, already heading out the door with his father.

The gang headed down the narrow alley toward the ring area of the preliminaries. Charisma, Trunks, and Goten eagerly ran toward the exit and stopped when they saw how many contestants there were. Many were showing off or warming up and others just stood there talking. Upon looking at them all, Charisma's shoulders fell. "I _am_ one of the only girls here…"

"Relax, Strawberry," Goten chuckled, coming up to her side and addressing her by her nickname. "You're definitely gonna kick butt!"

Charisma giggled and nodded her head. "Thanks Goten!"

The loud cheering of the crowd startled them. Mr. Satan showed up and naturally, the blind crowd went wild, immediately swarming him for autographs and pictures. After all the commotion began to settle down, the announcer informed the crowd that only 15 of them would be allowed to the finals. The strongest would move forward, with their strength determined by a punching machine. Charisma, Trunks, and Goten were sent somewhere else to prepare for the Junior Competition. The humans faired between 90 to 100 points, while the Z fighters blew all of them out of the water. Vegeta even blew up the machine with a single punch, causing a massive amount of wide eyes and jaw drops.

Elsewhere, the three friends were inside the main building, propped against a wall and waiting for further instructions. Charisma's eyes darted across the room, studying her competition. Her shoulders dropped and she shook her head, looking at her friends. "Guys, I don't think I want to fight anymore…"

"Why not?" asked Trunks looking down at her. He was leaning against a wall and completely bored.

"I don't know…what if I'm not strong enough?"

"You're very strong, Charisma," Goten said with a smile. "For a girl, I mean…right, Trunks?"

"Yeah," he agreed with a shrug. "I guess you're pretty strong…stronger than these babies here. You have nothing to worry about."

Charisma giggled and nodded her head. "Okay…I'll fight, and hopefully, I'll get to fight one of you guys! It'll be fun…"

"I don't want to fight you, Charisma!" Goten whined with a frown.

"Aww, come on, Goten. Lighten up…it'll be fun."

"If we have to fight, Charisma, don't expect me to go easy on you," warned Trunks. He was really sounding like his father.

Charisma stared up at him. "Sure…I wouldn't think that you would. It's not like you, Trunks." She turned to Goten. "So if you win, what are you going to do with the money?"

Goten looked at her and chuckled. "Toys, I guess!"

"You're such a toddler," Trunks snarled with a roll of his eyes.

"What about you?" Charisma asked him.

"I'm not sure what I'm gonna buy," he replied, looking up to the ceiling.

"Yeah," Goten replied with his everlasting smile. "I guess when your family is the richest in the world, there aren't many toys that you don't have."

"True," agreed Charisma. "Aren't you lucky?"

"What about you?" Goten asked her.

Charisma stared back him blankly. "Me? Hmm…" she thought for a moment with a finger to her lips. She giggled and shrugged after a few seconds, brushing off the question. "I really don't know…maybe Misa would know what to do…"

Trunks gnarled and looked down at her. "No way…she'll just tell you to buy jewelry and make up and stuff…"

"That's a great idea!" Charisma said with a big grin and clapped her hands. "You're a genius, Trunks!"

"Whatever…" Trunks said, turning to Goten. "I can't decide what to buy…maybe I'll buy you better looking hair cut…"

"A hair-what?" Goten asked slowly. Before Trunks or Charisma could respond to that, a hotshot teen boy and his two goonies walked up to the trio.

"Hey, half-pint," the tall blond-headed boy exclaimed. "You're going to be my first victim!" After a few more seconds of incessant trash talk, the boy swung a fist at Trunks, stopping right before his face. Trunks didn't move at all. He knew better.

"Don't you flinch?" the boy growled.

Goten and Charisma slowly stood up. "…Not from…weaklings…" Trunks replied with a slick smirk. "You'd best walk away…"

"WHAT?" the boy growled. "How dare you? You just sealed your fate! I'll knock you so hard, you'll have a concussion!"

Trunks turned away, still grinning. "Sounds fun…" Charisma and Goten looked toward each other and shrugged.

…

After a few more minutes of waiting, the Junior Competition was finally ready to begin. As the announcer explained the rules, the 36 young fighters stepped out to the ring. Unlike the adult division, this competition required no preliminaries. Each child would be pitted against the other until one reigned victorious. Charisma loved being in front of the hundreds of people. She smiled brightly, probably the only child up there with such a grin. The crowd cheered wildly as the competition went underway. The rest of the children watched from indoors. Trunks, Goten, and Charisma were bored out of their minds.

"I can't wait till we go up," Charisma sighed as she clung onto the edge of the window.

"Me, too," Goten agreed.

After about five fights, Trunks was finally up to face the trash talking boy from earlier in the day. "Now, for the next fight!" the announcer bellowed into the microphone. "Eight year old Trunks and fifteen year-old Adaza!"

Naturally, everyone in the audience doubted Trunks' chances of winning. If he had been a normal full human child, he probably wouldn't stand a chance. But his family and friends knew that he wasn't just some ordinary boy.

"Go get him, Trunks!" Charisma and Goten both cheered, only to be rebuked by Adaza's goons.

"Keep dreaming," the first one said. "Your little friend doesn't stand a chance!"

Charisma growled and turned to him. "We'll see about that, you big fat moron!"

Goten chuckled and pointed at the goons. "Morons! Morons!"

"We'll see you in the ring!" the second goon screamed, with steam pouring out of his ears and nose.

"YOU'RE ON!" Charisma retorted with a blast of confidence. "I can beat these babies no sweat, Goten," she told her friend.

"That's the spirit, Strawberry!" The two friends turned to watch the match.

Adaza lifted his fists and prepared to attack Trunks. Trunks just stood there as if nothing. Before the human boy could take notice, Trunks squatted down and tripped him. While in mid-air, Trunks then kicked him super hard and sent the poor big mouthed boy about 8 feet into the atmosphere.

Already aware that it was over, Trunks promptly made his way back to the main building. Adaza hit the ground and was out cold. This shocked the entire audience out of their boxes, except for the Z warriors, of course. Charisma and Goten greeted him with toothy smiles.

"That was great!" Charisma laughed. "You showed him!"

"You ended that match really fast," added Goten.

Trunks sighed with annoyance and crossed his arms, looking back towards the ring. "You see why I wanted to fight with the adults?"

Goten and Charisma both bobbed their heads. They understood very well. The only real fight here would include these three, pitted against one another. Only time would tell what would happen and Charisma's turn to fight was up next.

"Now let's welcome 14 year-old Jiro against 8 year-old Charisma!"

"Yay! Me next!" Charisma turned to her friends. "Wish me luck!"

"You won't need it," answered Trunks. "Believe me!"

The blond girl enthusiastically ran onto the ring with the boy trailing behind her. Like any other hot headed tough guy, he believed that he had this match in the bag. Charisma waved toward the cheering crowd.

"Aww, isn't she cute?" the announced bellowed. "It looks like this girl's got the makings of a superstar!"

'I like this!' she happily thought to herself. Jiro walked up to her and she turned around. He smacked his fists together in the typical tough-guy manner.

"Girly, don't think I'll go easy on you. I'm here to win, not to make friends with little kids." Charisma simply smiled at him and giggled cutely, tucking her hands behind her back. "Your little cutesy isn't gonna work on me!" he exclaimed exasperatedly.

Charisma nodded and closed her eyes. "I see…You think you've got the advantage over me…because I'm a girl?"

"Pretty much," he cackled. "Not just that, but you're way too puny. Signing up for this tournament was a huge mistake, girly. Now enough talk, let's fight!"

Without another word, Jiro charged toward Charisma with a punch, only to realize that he swung at thin air. Baffled, he turned around to find Charisma standing behind him with that same endearing smirk.

"Girly, enough games!" he growled, swinging punches blindly, only to miss every time. Finally feeling fed up and humiliated, he launched a dynamic kick. Surely if she were a regular human, Charisma wouldn't have been able to take it.

Then again, she wasn't a regular human. She grew up with two boys, two semi-Saiyans, no less. From here on out, she promised herself that she'd get strong. She might not be able to turn Super Saiyan or even be half as strong as Goten or Trunks, but she'd be the best super human she could be.

Jiro's kick brushed against the wind, causing it to howl. He stopped and barked like an angry dog. "GIRL! I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" He turned around to find himself face to face with her. He didn't even realize that she had been levitating off of the ground in order to see eye to eye.

"One more thing, Jiro," she said sweetly before her eyes narrowed angrily and she went ballistic. "SO WHAT THAT I'M A GIRL?" She grabbed him by his arm and tossed him like a raggedy Barbie doll toward the ground, where he bounced off of the edge of the ring and landed on the outside.

"Mom-mi…" he painfully called for his mother teary eyed.

"Whoa, looks like she's more than just a cute face," the announcer shouted excitedly into the mic, with spit flying everywhere. "Jiro is out, and Charisma advances!"

Charisma hopped up and down happily and ran to join her friends. "Did you see that?"

"That was great, Charisma!" Goten said gleefully. "I knew you had nothing to worry about!"

"I knew you could do it," agreed Trunks, with a bold yet friendly tone. "You're definitely one of us, Strawberry."

Charisma stared at him with huge, sapphire round and shiny eyes. Trunks sweatdropped and took a small step back. Before he knew it, Charisma glomped Trunks and nearly sent him to the ground. "You haven't called me Strawberry in ages, Trunks! It took you long enough, dumb head!"

Goten chuckled but was interrupted by the announcer. "I guess I'm next…"

Once again, thanks a bunch for the reviews. The next update will be coming very soon. Please stick around and review for me again.


	5. Humans and Saiyans

_Author's Note: _HIYA! Sorry for the long wait. I had a really bad case of writer's block. But now I'm back on track. Thanks for all the super nice reviews! Enjoy chapter 5!

Chapter 5:

Humans and Saiyans

Poor little Goten shivered nervously as he stared out into the crowd. The seven year old stood in the ring with his fourteen year old opponent.

"Relax, pal!" Charisma shouted from the window of the building. "You'll be fine! Have fun!"

Trunks sat against the wall a few feet away. He already knew the result of this match. Charisma was aware of that, too, but still felt like she should cheer her friend on.

The fourteen year old swung punches and kicks, giving it his all. By Saiyan standards, that was nothing. Goten simply blocked the attacks with his hands or arms. He was starting to get bored and after a few more seconds, swung his own casual fist. The impact on the boy's face left him dizzy. His eyes criss crossed and bugged out and he tumbled backwards to the ground.

"Amazing!" the announcer cried as he walked over to the cold boy. "He's out cold! Gotten is the winner!"

Charisma jumped up and down happily, clapping her hands. "I knew he could do it! You rock, Goten."

Fight after fight, Goten, Trunks, and Charisma swarmed through the competition without a single sweat. Finally, there were only four contestants left. Trunks was pitted against another older boy, which he of course beat the living life out with a single punch. The last two left now were Charisma and Goten. To figure out who would face Trunks in the final match, these two were now pitted against each other.

"Here we go," the announcer said. "The last match of the semi-finals is between 7 year-old Charisma and 7 year-old Goten!"

"This should be interesting," Krillin said. With Piccolo, Goku, Vegeta, and 18, he watched the match from up in the stands. Gohan and Videl were still stuck in the huge line while waiting to get qualified.

"What's Charisma doing here?" asked Goku.

"We've known her ever since she was a baby," explained Krillin. "Bulma still takes care of her sometimes. We're all good friends with her family."

"Oh," Goku answered slowly. "I get it. She's pretty strong for a human girl, isn't she?"

"Yeah," agreed Krillin. "She's always with Goten and Trunks. Easily, I can see why."

The two walked out into the ring, walking side by side. "Charisma," he said gloomily. "I don't want to fight you…"

"Lighten up, Goten," Charisma said brightly. "This is just for fun, remember? The other matches were so boring, and now we have a chance to spice up this competition. And don't worry, no matter what happens, we'll still be friends, okay?"

Goten looked up at her and nodded. "Okay!"

"Good!"

The two stood on opposite ends from each other when they entered the ring. Respectfully, they bowed to each other and smiled.

"Let the match begin!"

Charisma and Goten took their fighter's stances. They prepared themselves and with a nod, they launched themselves toward each other. They both kicked and punched, only to have those attacks blocked by the other. They were equally matched, at least now because Goten was holding back. He really didn't want to hurt his friend.

They landed on opposite ends of each other and Charisma turned to look at him. "What's up, Goten? You're barely even fighting."

"Charisma, I don't want to fight you," he cried.

"Oh come on. It's not like we hate each other. It's for fun. Just think of it as training, like when we fight around your house or Trunks' yard."

Goten nodded. "I'll try…"

Charisma gave it all she had. With Goten still holding back, it seemed that she was having the upper hand in this. This surprised even her. She could still sense Goten has been holding back. He was such a sweet boy and a caring friend, but as much as she wanted to win, Charisma would've preferred to face him at his best.

Charisma finally stopped and stared at the bruised boy as he got up. "Goten, why aren't you fighting me? Are you afraid you're going to hurt me? Or…do you think that I'm not worth it because I'm a girl?"

"No, Charisma!" he cried standing up. "It's not that!"

"I see how it's gonna be! You think I'm weak! I'm not even worth it, am I? What kind of friend are you? Fight me!" Charisma went back to assaulting him, giving it all she had and causing him a bit more bodily harm.

"Goten, fight her!" Chi-Chi yelled from the stands. "You're stronger than her!"

"I can't believe he's holding back," Krillin commented to Goku.

"He must really care about Charisma," said Goku. "It's really great…I just hope he starts trying…"

Charisma went on and on, crying about how Goten didn't care about her as she continued her rampage. The crowd went wild at all this action and drama mixed into one. This was really getting to be a good fight. Finally, Goten's feelings were getting bruised more than his body and he couldn't take it. With tears in his eyes, elbowed Charisma in her stomach and then kicked her with all his human might. She hit the ground and bounced a bit, until she was left dangling off the edge of the ring.

"That was too hard, Goten!" Chi-Chi yelled at him. With a slap on her forehead, she added, "Kaylei's not going to be happy about this…"

"Oh my, looks like this might be it for Charisma!" the announcer said going over to the blond girl. He kneeled down at tapped her body. "She's out cold! Goten is going to the championship match!"

"Charisma…" Goten followed the medics and they carried her to the first aid office. He cried and nearly rang the life out of Trunks. "Trunks! I killed our best friend!"

"Calm down, she's not dead," Trunks said in frustration. "She's just really hurt."

"She's gonna hate me, Trunks!"

"No she's not. You know how she is. This is what she wanted anyway."

"Shouldn't we go see her?" asked Goten, wiping his eyes. "I want to tell her that I'm sorry."

"Fine. If it'll get you to stop crying."

…

Bulma was already in the first aid room with Charisma. Since her parents weren't there, Bulma took responsibility on watching Charisma.

"Mom," Trunks said entering the room with Goten. "What are you doing here?"

Bulma turned around and smiled at the children. "Hey honey. You were both great out there."

Goten walked up to Charisma and cried. "I'm sorry!"

"Shh," Bulma said softly. "She's resting…"

"So what's wrong with her, Mom?" asked Trunks.

"She took quite a bit of damage, but she'll be just fine. A little bit of rest should do the trick. She's a strong little girl, that's for sure."

"The match between Goten and me is about to start," said Trunks. "Aren't you going to watch?"

Bulma sighed and stared at her son apologetically. "I'm sorry," she said hugging him. "I have to stay here with Charisma until the nurse arrives. I'll probably still get to see the match, but probably half way through. Just promise me you'll both do your best no matter what, okay?" The boys agreed and headed out to the ring again.

'_I wanna be stronger…I wanna be a lot stronger…But what am I supposed to do to get strong? Nothing is ever going to make me into a Saiyan… No matter how much I train, no matter how strong I get…I'll always be one little human…one little girl. It's not fair…I wanna be like them …Why can't I be one of them?' _Charisma's eyes slowly came to an open.

"Charisma, you're finally awake. How are you feeling, hon?"

She gasped when she saw Bulma beside the bed. She immediately sat up and looked around, ignoring the machine that was attached to her. "…What happened? Where am I?"

"Calm down, Charisma. You were injured during your match with Goten and so the doctors brought you here." Bulma grabbed the girl by the shoulders and gently pushed her down until she was lying down again. "Now relax. You're still a bit fuzzy from those medicines the nurse gave you."

Charisma sighed and looked up at Bulma. "…So that means that I lost?"

"I'm sorry, honey…" Bulma said apologetically. "But don't worry about it. You gave the crowd a good show and you had fun, didn't you? There's always the next tournament. You'll be all grown up and much stronger by then." Charisma frowned and lowered her head. "Come on, sweetie. Don't be sad about it. You did very well."

"…I'm never gonna be strong enough…" she cried and buried her face into her hands."…They're always going to be better than me."

"Charisma…"

"I wanna be a Saiyan, too! It's not fair! Why can't I be?"

Bulma was surprised. She didn't really know what to say. She didn't blame Charisma for feeling that way, however. It was difficult growing up and being different from her friends. Race was the only thing different about them, but for now, it was hard for Charisma to see that.

"That's just the way things are, Charisma. There's nothing you can do to be Saiyan if you're not. But that's not a bad thing. You have to be proud about who you are and what you are. It's the only way you'll ever truly be happy. Humans are really cool, too, right?"

"Not as cool as a Saiyan…"

"Please, Charisma," Bulma said smugly as she stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "We may not have all those cool powers or be as strong, but that doesn't make a difference. Besides, what about your human friends? Don't you think that they're cool even though they're just humans?"

Charisma hadn't thought about that and faced Bulma. "They are cool. They're my friends for a reason."

"And you mom and dad are humans. Krillin is human…and I'm human! It doesn't matter what you are or where you come from or what powers you have. What matters is who you are and what's inside. That's what counts. So enough of this 'I wanna be Saiyan' nonsense, okay?"

Charisma looked down for a moment. Bulma had a good point. Charisma wiped her tears away and looked up cheerfully. "You're right, Auntie."

"Of course I am!" she chuckled proudly.

"…But…can I go home now?"

Bulma stopped laughing and looked down at the little girl. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I don't want to be here anymore…at least for now," she said. "I want to see my human friends."

"Okay, if you really want to," Bulma agreed. "We can take the plane…"

"Actually," Charisma interrupted. "I can just fly over there."

"But you're injured, Charisma. I can't allow that. You're under my care and your mother won't be happy."

"I'm fine," Charisma insisted as she drew back the covers of the bed and slowly let her feet dangle off the end. "I feel much better now. I just wanna get out of here as soon as I can."

Bulma patted the girl's blonde head. "Okay, okay. I'll go call the nurses and let them know that you're leaving, okay?"

"Thanks, Auntie," Charisma said happily, wrapping her arms around her caretaker.

Bulma rubbed the girl's back affectionately. "Anytime, Charisma."


	6. Uncertainty

_Author's Note:_ I'm so sorry that I'm taking so much time in between updates. I don't know how this story is going to go yet so please bare with me. Thanks to everyone who is still with me. I promise to keep working hard. Enjoy this next chappie!

Chapter 6:

Uncertainty

"What do you mean she went home?" Goten demanded with watery eyes. It was a good match and a close one, too, but Trunks eventually won. The boys now sat in the stand with their mothers as the adults were preparing to compete.

"Yeah, she wasn't feeling well," Bulma explained. "Don't be sad, Goten."

Goten pouted and stared at the ground. "She does hate me now, doesn't she?"

"Of course not. She's just not feeling well and wanted to be home with her friends."

"But Trunks and me are her friends!"

"Yes," Bulma agreed. "I don't know if you'll understand this or not, but Charisma is really sad."

"About what?" asked Trunks, crossing his arms. "If she's sad about losing, then she's just being dramatic."

"That's not it, son," replied Bulma. "She feels very sad about being only a human."

"Poor girl," commented Chi-Chi, shaking her head.

"But why would she?" asked Goten.

"Maybe you should try talking to her when you get home," Bulma answered, patting both boys on their backs. "After all, you are her best friends, right?"

"Yeah," nodded Goten enthusiastically.

"Sure," agreed Trunks.

"Great," Bulma said turning her attention to the ring. "Now wipe off that frown, Goten. Enjoy the rest of the tournament, okay?"

Goten stared at the ground for a while but then looked up and smiled. "Okay!"

…

"Ugh…" Charisma said gloomily as she flew slowly back home. "I don't know what I'm going to tell Mom…" Charisma rubbed the bandaged area of her face. "Maybe I should take these off…If she finds out what happened she'll never let me fight again." Charisma began heading over West City. A knot began rumbling within her stomach. "Eww…I'd hate to think what Mom's gonna say…"

Charisma stopped in the sky and placed her hands on her hips and imitated her mother's voice. _"You see what I told you! I knew this would happen! No more martial arts! And you're grounded, by the way! Now go to your room and don't even think about flying out your window!" _Charisma frowned and shook her head. "I can't wait…"

Charisma looked down and smiled brighter than the sunshine above her. "Yay! I'm right above Misa's house! And hey, she's outside, too! This is great!" Charisma slowly levitated down to the ground, stopping right before her feet touched the grassy floor of Misa's backyard. Misa had her back turned, tending to her 10-month-old baby sister who sat in her carrier.

"No, Harmony," she softly scolded the dark haired baby. "Don't throw your toys at me!"

"BOOOOOOO!" Charisma suddenly shouted, erupting the peaceful air.

"WAAAAH!" Misa nearly jumped into the tree above her, causing little Harmony to laugh. "Charisma!" Misa shouted with a tomato-red face. "Don't do ever do that, you crazy thing!"

Charisma cackled as tears went down her face and let her feet land on the ground. "Sorry, Misa, I thought it would be funny! And it was, wasn't it, Harmony?"

Harmony clapped her hands, giggling with approval. Misa sighed, but then turned to Charisma. "Wait…why are you here? I thought you were at the tournament."

Charisma took a seat on the bench beside the baby's carrier. "I was…but I wanted to come back home a bit early."

"Why?" asked Misa, going to take a seat beside the blonde girl.

"You weren't watching TV?"

"I tried," Misa said scratching her head. "But for some reason, the crew over there and their equipment were having some type of problems with their stuff. It's really weird."

"Oh, I see," Charisma chuckled, remembering when Piccolo blew up all of the cameras in the arena.

"And what's with the bandages?" Misa asked, leaning in closer to her friend. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Charisma replied, looking away and wiping a strand of hair from her face and placing it behind her ear. "It's nothing, really."

"So what happened, exactly?"

"Well, to be short, Goten, Trunks and I were the best fighters there. The other kids didn't even stand a chance."

Misa placed a hand over her mouth as she chuckled. "I thought so. You guys are really strong."

"Yup. And well, Goten and I ended up having to face each other in the semi-finals…"

"Oh no…"

"…He was holding back…he was holding back his strength from me. It made me so mad. I felt like he doubted me. I felt weak. And I guess I pressured him a bit too much into giving me everything he had…and well, next thing I knew, I was in the first aid office."

"Ouch…" Misa said shaking her head. "But are you okay?"

"I am," Charisma nodded looking at Misa. "But…I can't help but feel sad…not because I lost but…because I'm not like them…"

"Huh?"

"You know, they're different from us…right?"

"Different? How are they different?"

Charisma remembered that Misa wasn't aware at all what kind of kids Trunks and Goten were. "Misa, can you keep a secret?" she said with a finger over her lips.

Misa stared at Charisma quizzically, but then nodded her head. "Of course I can…you know me, Strawberry. Have I ever failed you?"

Charisma smiled at nodded her head. "Never…you're right. But still, promise me you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you…okay?"

Misa leaned closer to Charisma. "I promise. I cross my heart."

"Good," Charisma responded.

"Now, what's the secret? What about Trunks and Goten?"

"You're probably gonna find this hard to believe," Charisma said lowly, getting closer to her friend. "But its true…Goten and Trunks aren't really human…"

"What do you mean?"

Charisma went on to explain everything she knew about the boys. Their dads were from some alien planet. They were a powerful warrior race, way stronger than any human.

"So that's why they're so strong," Misa concluded. "I knew it was funny. That's why there aren't any guys like them…and that's why they can fly…" Misa narrowed her eyebrows. "But then why can you fly?"

"You don't have to be Saiyan to fly," Charisma tattered with a waving finger. "Anyone can do it."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, really. You can learn too, Misa."

Misa shook her head. "No thanks. I'm horribly afraid of heights and I'm always getting motion sickness. I don't think I'm made for flying."

Charisma shrugged. "Well, suit yourself then!" All was silent for a while, until a large blue rattle popped Misa in the head. It bounced off her cranium and landed on the grass. Harmony laughed ferociously.

Misa slapped her forehead. "I hate babysitting…"

"I'm going to take off my bandages," Charisma said, removing the band aids from her face.

"Are you sure?" Misa asked with concern.

"I'm fine," Charisma said proudly. "I'm very strong. Besides, I can't let my mom see me like this." She turned to her friend and pointed at her face. "Can you see my scratches?"

"Not much…the scabs are pretty small, actually…"

"GREAT!" Charisma stood up and stretched her body. "I guess I'd better get home now."

"Okay," Misa said standing up beside her. "I guess I'll see you later, then."

"Yeah," Charisma nodded. "See ya, Misa! Buh-bye, Harmony!" Charisma ran through the yard a bit before taking off into the sky.

…

"Charisma, you're back so early?"

Charisma walked into her house. Her mother stood at the door and watched as her daughter made her way across the living room. "Yeah…I ended up losing so I decided to come back…"

"I see," Kaylei said softly. She closed the front door and went over to Charisma. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Mom," Charisma said with her back toward her mother, turning only her head around to look up at her. "…Bulma dropped me off, by the way. She went back to the tournament since the adults are going to fight next."

"Oh," replied Kaylei, patting the blonde girl on her head. She smiled warmly and led the girl into the kitchen. "Are you hungry?"

"Just a bit…" Charisma nodded and began heading toward her room upstairs.

"Well, I'll make you something, sweetie," her mother said affectionately. "Go take a bath and it'll be ready by the time you finish."

"Okay," Charisma agreed, already at the top of the stairs.

An hour passed shortly and Charisma was lying on her bed. The television was on and a small glass plate was sitting beside her, empty with just a few scarce crumbles resting on it. She flipped through the channels with a loud yawn.

"I wonder what everyone's doing right now…" Charisma said with a bummed tone. "I bet they're having fun while I sit here bored to death…"

While in mid-thought, a sharp feeling coursed through Charisma's body. She gasped and stood up immediately, causing the glass plate to crash onto the ground a spin about for a few seconds. She ran toward her window and opened it. She stared out into the distance in bewilderment.

"I just felt…something funny. I think it's coming from the tournament." Her blue eyes were wide in awe and she stepped back. "Maybe I should go check it out…"

Instantly, Charisma grabbed her backpack and ran out of her room, ignoring that she left the TV on. She zoomed through the halls and down the stairs. She was just about to head out the door when a voice called her name.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Charisma winced and slowly looked back to see her mother standing across the room with her arms crossed. "Huh?"

"Where are you going?" Kaylei asked again. "You're seven years old, not eighteen, missy. Even so, you still have to tell me where it is you're heading off to…"

"…Uh…" Charisma tried to think of an excuse. Surely, her mother wouldn't let her return back to the World Martial Arts Tournament. "…I want to go see Misa. I remember that I promised her that I'd tell her everything about the tournament as soon as I got back. Besides, I'm really bored, Mommy."

"I see," Kaylei said relaxing. "You should've told me, sweetie…"

"Sorry, I was really excited and forgot to…"

"Okay…we'll make sure you're home before it gets too dark." Kaylei went over to her daughter and fixed up her hair and clothing. "I'll see you later." She placed a kiss on Charisma's forehead.

"Thanks Mom!" Charisma said cheerfully. "Bye-bye!"

Charisma took to the sky and flew off to the tournament instead of Misa's house like she had said.


	7. The Search for the Dragonballs

_Author's Note: _WOW! Finally, an update! It's about time! I hope you guys are still interested and gonna read this... I'm sorry for the long wait. I've been so busy with school and everything. A lot of things have been happening lately. And I had the worst case of writer's block. But I finally have more or less of an idea about where I want this story to go. So I hope you like it. Please review and enjoy!

Chapter 7:

The Search for the Dragonballs

Charisma soared in the sky and noticed a cloud of black smoke coming from the direction of the arena. "Oh my gosh," she said in shock. "What in the world happened?"

She stopped in mid air and looked below at the audience. Certain parts of the arena were completely destroyed. "I missed a lot…I should've never left…" Charisma pouted and continued to fly around until something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Looking up, she noticed a familiar yellow airplane in the distance.

Charisma's face brightened up and she cheered. "YAY! I FOUND THEM!" Instantly, she took off toward the flying machine.

The passengers on the plane were sitting silently and uncomfortably. So many things had happened. Vegeta had gone berserk and killed half the people at the arena and a new diabolical creature was threatening the Earth. To make matters worse, Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, and Krillin had gone to fight off that monster, with Trunks and Goten unknowingly following along. Yamcha's eyes stared out into the distance of water and sky.

Charisma landed softly on top of the plane. She crawled to the pilot's side window and slowly slithered down, and knocked on the glass. Yamcha turned to look momentarily and screamed in horror when he saw Charisma there, suspended upside down from the top of the plane.

"WHAT THE HECK?" he cried, so startled that he lost control of the plane. Every passenger screamed as they were tossed across the plane like little dolls. The plane nearly tilted upside down completely with Yamcha desperately trying to regain control over it. It hit the waters, splashing around violently.

Charisma had flown off the plane the moment Yamcha screamed and now was watching the chaos that she ensued. She giggled nervously and scratched the back of her head. "I think that was a bad idea…"

…

Moments later, Charisma was sitting on one of the seats inside the plane. It was safely flying once again and under control. "That wasn't funny, Charisma!" Bulma scolded her with hands on her hips. "Someone could've gotten hurt."

Charisma looked up at Bulma with sad puppy eyes. "But I didn't mean to scare him," Charisma said sadly with her hands folded in a pleading manner. "I just wanted to say 'hi' and let you guys know that I was here…"

"You could've found some other way to let us know," Bulma said and patted Charisma on her blond head. Bulma couldn't find any way to stay angry at the girl for too long.

"I'm sorry, everyone," Charisma said aloud. She stood up off her chair and looked around. "Hey, where are Trunks and Goten?"

Bulma frowned slightly, remembering what had happened at the arena. She was relieved that Charisma didn't have to see all that. "They went somewhere with Gohan…" she lied. "I'm not sure where. But don't worry. You'll see them soon…"

Charisma nodded and smiled. "Okay! I really want to talk to them." Charisma took her seat again and cheerful dangled her legs over the edge. Bulma sighed and took her seat at the co-pilot's chair.

The plane fell silent again for more than a half hour. Charisma had fallen asleep in her seat and was sprawled on it comfortably. Chi-Chi finally spoke up and turned toward Videl, who was sitting right beside her. "So you're sure of what you heard? They really said that they were going to fight that Majin Buu character?"

Videl sighed and looked at her. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"I hate to say this, but I resent the fact that you let Gohan and the others go," Chi-Chi said shaking her head. "You should've at least tried to stop Goten and Trunks from going."

"I'm so sorry, Chi-Chi," Videl said sadly, with a hand on her forehead. "I don't know what I was thinking…"

"Hey," Yamcha said to her. "You shouldn't feel too bad. There's nothing you could've done to make them change their minds. Trying to stop Super Saiyans from going to fight is virtually impossible, trust me."

Videl nodded her head. "Thanks…"

"Sure," he said. "And you're sure that they went this way, right?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Videl said confidently. "Straight ahead!"

"All right," said Yamcha. "Hold on tight guys, I'm gonna hammer it…" Yamcha hit the gas and the plane picked up speed.

Bulma stared out into the distance with a glazed and sad look in her eyes. She still couldn't believe that Vegeta would actually kill so many people. It just didn't make sense to her. She had really thought that he had changed.

Yamcha noticed the distress on her face and smiled brightly at her. "Hey, lighten up, Bulma. The worst that could happen is that someone gets killed. If that happens, we'll just wish them back with the dragon balls. No big deal!"

Bulma threw daggers at him with her eyes and angrily lunged at him. "Well then, you wouldn't mind if I killed you then!"

Yamcha flew off the side of his seat, with his left hand still attached to the steering wheel. The wheel turned sharply, causing the plane to turn sharply as well. Once again, everyone was tossed around like dolls in the plane, with piercing screams and yelps. Charisma woke up with a start when she fell off her seat and landed on the seats near the left side window, luckily to be caught by Chi-Chi's father, Ox King.

Marron was also violently shaken from her nap. She was fortunately caught by her mother before she could fall somewhere and get hurt. 18 angrily shouted at Yamcha. "You better straighten this thing out or I'll kick your ass!"

Yamcha immediately took his seat and shook his head, chuckling uneasily. "No need! I've already got it under control! Don't worry!" The flying vehicle slowly turned back to normal.

"I know it bothers you, but he wasn't well when he killed those people," Master Roshi said to her, beginning to regain his composure. "The Vegeta we know may be arrogant and hot headed, but he'd never do anything like what we saw today."

"Yeah," agreed Chi-Chi. "They did something to him."

Bulma sighed and placed a hand to her heart. 'If they did do something to you, then you've got to snap out of it…' she thought.

Within a few seconds, Yamcha noticed something else was wrong with the plane now. From the distance, he could see a bright light and shock waves ripping through the sky. "What the-?" he said. "HOLD ON EVERYBODY!"

A massive turbulence caused the plane to shake violently, even more so than before. Everyone grappled onto their seats tightly, trying not to get tossed around again.

"You're making her cry!" 18 said angrily, holding onto her daughter. "Stop it!"

"I'm not doing anything!" Yamcha replied, trying to control the steering as best he could. "This whole thing could rip apart!"

After a few agonizing seconds, the plane finally returned to normal. "Well that got the heart rate up," Videl said, trying to sit up straight.

"Sorry about that, guys," Yamcha apologized. "I guess I should've had the seat belt sign on…"

"That was no regular turbulence…" Master Roshi nervously said, looking out the window. "That was the aftershock of a great explosion…"

"Uh oh! This isn't good!" Yamcha nervously cried. "The controls don't work anymore! They've been damaged!"

"What?" Chi-Chi exclaimed. "Do something!"

The plane left a trail of black smoke as it violently and jaggedly descended toward the ocean waters.

"We're all gonna die!" Chi-Chi cried.

"The engine is busted!" Yamcha kept trying to regain control, but it was no use. "We're going down!"

18 came up with an idea and handed Marron to Videl. She stood up from her seat and opened the door of the plane and flew out. She glided to the bottom of the machine and grabbed on to it, carefully guiding it down to an island nearby. With the plane safely on solid ground, Yamcha immediately fetched his tools and went on to try and repair the damage. Meanwhile, everyone sat outside in the grass or on big rocks while waiting for him.

Charisma and Marron were occupied playing tag with each other, the only ones not bored out of their minds right now. Master Roshi approached Yamcha who was under the plane. "You think you'll be done by this year, Mr. Fix-It?"

"I think you're underestimating the damage this thing took," Yamcha explained, not moving out from his position. "That was quite an explosion. We're lucky to be alive."

"Yeah," Chi-Chi agree, turning to look at 18 who was sitting next to her. "You saved our lives. Thank you!"

"That should take care of it!" Yamcha said, pulling himself out of the bottom of the plane and dusting off his clothes. "I think we're just about ready to go!"

"Hooray!" Charisma and Marron said, pausing their game to cheer.

"You'd better test drive that thing!" Bulma demanded with her arms crossed. "I'm not getting on it until you're sure we won't get tossed around anymore!"

"Yeah," Videl said, standing up from the rock and stretching. "I think I'll need to go visit a chiropractor after all this…"

"Fine!" Yamcha said proudly. "You'll see! I know what I'm doing!" Yamcha jumped in the plane and closed the doors. All seemed well and the plane drove across the land smoothly.

"Hey, it's actually working!" Charisma said cheerfully. She turned toward Marron. "We finally get to leave!" The two girls continued to cheer happily.

At that moment, the plane was gliding less than five feet above the ground when it suddenly began to sputter and abruptly went down, crashing into about ten bushes before stopping with a halt, sending Yamcha into the front window. He slid down it like a fly on a windshield.

The group simultaneously sweatdropped and Charisma and Marron's cheering slowly stopped. "Eh, why don't we go play a bit more, huh, Marron?"

Marron looked up at her. "…'Kay…"

…

After another half hour or so, the plane was finally functioning like it should. Within the next few hours, the gang decided to find the dragonballs. They figured it would be best to bring all those people who died back to life. The first five dragonballs were found with little incident and problem.

"Okay, the sixth ball should be around here somewhere," Bulma announced to the gang. "Just go straight ahead…we're almost there…"

"I'm on it, Bulma," Yamcha said as he steered the plane.

"Treasure hunting is fun!" Marron said to Charisma.

"It _is_ fun!" Charisma agreed. She looked at the four other dragonballs which were in a bag on the seat next to Videl. "They look so beautiful!"

Videl smiled at the girl. "They are pretty, aren't they? Especially since I've never seen anything like this before…"

"Me either!" Charisma said.

"It's right here!" Bulma suddenly exclaimed.

"What?" asked Yamcha, caught off guard. "Here?"

"Yeah, according to the radar, the next dragonball is located somewhere beneath us…"

"Uh guys," Chi-Chi said slowly. "The ocean is right beneath us…"

"So it's under water then?" asked Videl.

"It has to be…" replied Bulma. "But the question now is…who's going to go look for it?"

"I wanna do it!" Charisma raised her arm and waved it wildly in the air. "Can I go?"

Everyone eyed her strangely. "I'm sorry, Charisma, but it's too dangerous…" Bulma gently refused.

"But I know how to swim," Charisma retorted and put her hands together. "Please, Auntie! I promise I'll be back soon! It won't take long!"

"Oh let her go," Yamcha said with a smile. "Charisma may be small, but she can take care of herself. It's not so bad…"

"But if something happens to her, Kaylei will kill us," Bulma growled at Yamcha. "You can't take this so lightly…"

"Just let her go," Chi-Chi agreed, crossing her arms and smiling confidently. "We'll watch her from here…"

Bulma sighed and looked down at Charisma's big blue eyes. She slowly nodded. "You win, Charisma. But be careful, okay?"

Charisma jumped up and down merrily. "Yay! Thanks! I will, Auntie!" Yamcha turned the plane around and headed back to where the dragon radar had detected the ball. The glass door slowly opened up.

"Go for it, Charisma," Bulma told her. "Good luck."

"Okay! I'll be back soon!" Charisma waved and took a leap from the plane and dove into the cool waters.

Charisma calmly swam through the ocean, going deeper in search of the ball. She giggled as she passed fishes and other gentle sea creatures. 'This is so cool,' Charisma thought as she watched them swim away. 'Hunting for treasure is fun!'

Charisma's eyes widened when she noticed a something shining from a few feet deeper into the ocean. After a few seconds, her eyes adjusted and she realized what she saw. 'The dragonball!' she thought happily. 'I found it!' She immediately headed over to it and sat on the rock beside it. The five star dragonball gleamed magnificently. 'Everyone's going to be so proud!'

From behind her, two sinister yellow eyes gradually came open. Charisma didn't notice and stared at the dragonball, seeing her reflection in its glossy surface. She saw something strange on it and slowly turned her head around. She nearly screamed before her hands instantly went up to cover her mouth, self consciously reminding her that she was still underwater.

The dragonball slipped out of her grasp and began heading deeper into the sea. 'Oh no!' she mentally cried, bubbles escaping her mouth. 'The dragonball!' Without thinking twice, she dove for it and just barely caught it. The creature's tentacles grabbed on to Charisma's small waist and pulled her in closer. Charisma turned her head and finally saw the monster in its entirety.

'AN OCTOPUS!' she screamed in her mind. 'GROSS!' She struggled to get out of its grasp but the monstrosity was too strong. 'Let me go! Let me go!' Her little hands held the dragonball close to her chest. The more she struggled, the tighter the octopus would hold her.

'No!' she cried inwardly. 'I can't…I can't let it get me!' With one shaky hand holding the dragonball to her chest, she struggled to get her other hand to grab onto the closest tentacle. Using all of her strength, Charisma squeezed it, causing the octopus to finally loosen its grip a bit. However, the stubborn thing still refused to let her go.

'I'm sorry,' she thought. 'But you've left me no choice!' A beam of energy began forming around Charisma's hand.

Back on the plane, the others were waiting silently for her to come back. Yamcha landed the vehicle on an island not too far away.

"She's taking long…" Bulma said fidgeting with the end of her red skirt. "Maybe someone should go help her…she probably can't find it by herself…what was I thinking letting her go down there all alone?"

"Have faith in the girl, will ya?" Yamcha said brightly. "She'll probably come any minute now…"

A ray of bright yellow light unexpectedly shot up from the waters, causing numerous waves and startling everyone. They all ran out of the plane and looked around.

"What the hell was that?" demanded Chi-Chi.

Bulma stared out into the distance with her blue eyes trembling. She gasped and pointed straight ahead. "There she is!"

Charisma was hovering a few hundred feet from the water. "I wonder where they went?" she said to herself.

"HEY! OVER HERE!"

Charisma turned around and saw the gang waving to her. "There they are!" she merrily announced and flew over to them. She landed in front of them, not noticing their weird glances.

"Hey guys, guess what? I-" Charisma began to explain.

"What happened to you?" Bulma cut her off.

"What do you mean?"

"You look like you were playing in tar…"

Charisma finally looked down at herself and saw her white tank top and blue pleaded skirt covered in black stuff. "Oh this? This is just ink!" she calmly explained as if it were no big deal. "There was this big scary octopus down there! He grabbed me and didn't want to let me go! I think he was mad because I stole his dragonball and he tried to eat me. So I had no choice but to blast his arms and when I did that, I think he got sad and so he squirted me with ink. But hey, I found the dragonball, see?" She held it out. Surprisingly, there wasn't speck of ink on it.

"Well that's quite a story," Yamcha chuckled, grabbing the dragonball. "You're quite a girl, you know that?"

Charisma smiled at him, blushing cutely. "Thank you!"

"I'll have to clean you up somehow," Bulma said grabbing Charisma by the hand and leading her back toward the water. "I can't just take you back to your mom like this. She'll have a heart attack!"

Charisma frowned. "You're taking me back home? I don't wanna go! I wanna keep searching for dragonballs with you guys!"

Bulma looked down at Charisma and patted her head with a soft smile. "Don't worry about it. I'll take you back later. Your mother did let you come back."

Charisma giggled nervously. "Sure, sure she did!"

…

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S NOT HERE?" Kaylei demanded. She stood inside of Misa's house, talking to her parents.

"Charisma never came here," Misa's mother calmly explained.

"She probably went back to the tournament," Misa interjected. She gasped and covered her gasped and nearly pulled her hair out.

"WHAT?"

"I think I shouldn't have said that…" Misa said uneasily.

"Stop overreacting, honey," Kaylei's husband Mino said. "She's with Bulma. She'll be fine."

Kaylei glared at him for a moment but sighed and lowered her head. "You're right…let's go home…" She dragged her feet out of the door.

_After re-reading though this chapter, I actually kind of like how I wrote it. I really thought it would suck. Eh, but what do you guys think? I'll try to have the update by next week, at the most. Since I'm busy with school during the week. Please review!_


	8. Young Hope

_Author's Note:_ It's been months since I last updated! Gosh, I'm so sorry for those of you who have been waiting. I've been so busy with school and all, and above all, I had a really serious case of writer's block. I wish there was medication for that...**T.T**

Well, if you're still with me, then please read this chapter and review it for me. I promise that I'm going to work on updating a bit sooner again like I used to. I got through this chapter, which was the hardest for me to write, seeing as how I didn't know how o go about it, but I figured it out. So I hope you're still interested and I hope you enjoy. **:)**

_Chapter 8:_

_Young Hope_

"Okay, so we've got six dragon balls," Yamcha said as he steered the plane. "One more to go…"

Videl eyed the shiny dragonballs curiously. "I just hope these things really do work…"

"Oh they work," Chi-Chi said, looking turning to look at Videl. Chi-Chi was now standing behind the co-pilot seat, looking at the dragon radar in Bulma's hands. "You don't have to worry about that, Videl."

"Well that's good," replied Videl. "But don't you guys think we should be looking for Trunks and Goten now? Isn't that more important?"

Chi-Chi thought about it for a minute before turning toward Bulma. "What do you think, Bulma?"

"I don't know," she answered as she turned her head to look back at them. "But Trunks and Goten could be anywhere. At least with the dragonballs, we know we're accomplishing something." Bulma slowly turned back around and stared down at the flashing radar in her hands. "Besides, I want to bring back all the people Vegeta killed in the stadium back to life. I owe it to them. That was a terrible thing that he did."

"We should be getting close now," Yamcha said cheerfully. "What did you say? One hour?"

Bulma nodded her head without looking up. "We're pretty close. Just keep heading in this direction. I'd say another fifteen minutes or so."

"Be honest, Bulma," Chi-Chi said leaning closer to her. "Is one of the reasons that you're so intent on getting the dragonballs because…you think something happened to the boys?"

"Actually, I'm not worried too much about them," Bulma responded. "I know they'll be fine. I just have a sick feeling in my heart about Vegeta, though…" She looked back at her with sad blue eyes. "I might have to wish him back…but I'm not sure I wanna wish him back…" She lowered her eyes. "Unless…he's back to the way he was…"

"Don't worry, Bulma," said Chi-Chi. "He'll be fine. Vegeta's not one to be controlled."

"I hope you're right…" she said. The dragon radar suddenly began beeping louder. "Hey, we've got an exact fix on that last ball! Steady as she goes, Yamcha!"

"RIGHT!" answered Yamcha.

Videl's eyes fell to the dragonballs beside her once again. "It's kind of hard to believe that you can actually bring people back from the dead with these things."

"Well, look at me," Yamcha said turning to look at her. "I was as dead as you can get and I was wished back to life!"

"Don't worry, Videl," said Bulma. "Most people come back normal."

"HEY! WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"

"Slow down, Yamcha," Bulma suddenly replied, ignoring his question. "It must be on that little island over there. The dragon radar says it's at sea level so that's got to be it."

"Okay!" Yamcha said preparing to land. "Here we go! Hold on tight!"

On its decent, Yamcha somehow lost control (again) and the airplane furiously began to shake around, yet again tossing everyone around. It swiveled from side to side, hitting the waters below and bouncing a few times until it came to a rough stop on dry land.

"What the hell was that, Yamcha?" Bulma exclaimed.

"Hey, that was a difficult landing!" he replied back.

"Especially if you don't know how to land!"

…

"There it is…HEY GUYS I FOUND IT BUT I CAN'T REACH IT!" Bulma was situated on top of a cliff. The dragonball was within a nest on a small fragment of the rock face, just barely out of her reach. "HOW ABOUT SOME HELP UP HERE?"

"No deal!" Yamcha shouted back teasingly. "You said you wanted to find it on your own, remember! And get some aggression out!"

'UGH!" she growled as she continued to reach out. "If I get my hand on that dragonball, the first thing I'm gonna do is throw it at Yamcha's head!"

"Hey Bulma!" Yamcha sneered. "Are you stuck?"

"Give her a break!" Videl said. "She's a mother, you know…" Videl looked up at the cliff and cupped her hands around her mouth. "YOU CAN DO IT! YOU'RE DOING GREAT OLD GAL!"

"Old gal?" Bulma grumbled with fiery blue eyes. "You better watch it!" She turned her attention toward the dragonball. "Almost…there…!"

A sudden large shadow loomed over her back without her knowing about it. The next thing she knew, Bulma felt something weird fondling her underside. She gasped and turned around angrily with cheeks burning red. "HEY! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?" Her face fell when she realized what had touched her and she screamed in horror.

"It's a monster!" Charisma cried with her hands on her head. "It's gonna eat Auntie!"

Videl abruptly took off toward her to help. She landed in front of the winged pink beast. It almost instantly launched its icky pinky tongue at them. Bulma barely escaped it, only to realize that the dragon had gone for the nest, swallowing the eggs and dragonball that were in it.

Bulma gasped and her fear turned into anger. "Hey! Give us back our dragonball right this second, you hear me! Cough it up, you overgrown fiend!"

The beast flew up into the sky and almost left. Without thinking, Yamcha blasted it while it was over the water. The monster fell from the sky and landed in it, now diving deeper under the sea. Bulma watched helplessly and looked down at Yamcha from her place on the cliff. "You idiot! Go after it! We need that dragonball!"

Yamcha shook nervously and ran over to the edge of the precipice. He stopped at the edge and took one look down. "That's…one heck of a jump…"

"WELL?" Bulma growled angrily. "What the hell are you waiting for?"

"I can't go in there!" he retorted and gestured toward his clothes. "These clothes are expensive!"

"What kind of excuse is that? Take them off and go in your underwear!"

Yamcha chuckled uneasily. "Well you see…I'm not wearing any…"

"LIAR! You're just chickening out!" Bulma bellowed and looked over at the others. "Well, what about you, Roshi?"

Master Roshi coughed a few times. "I would but I've got this terrible cold!"

"The men are scared!" she exasperatedly snarled.

"Well I'm not," 18 said. "But I don't feel like getting wet so, no!"

"At least you're honest about it!"

"I'm already drying off!" Charisma said grabbing onto the edge of her skirt.

"That's okay, Charisma. I know you've got more guts than these so-called men! What about you, Chi-Chi?"

Chi-Chi sighed with frustration and began walking toward the boundary of the cliff. "All right you cowards, I'll do it!" Just as she made it to the edge, Videl dove from up beside Bulma and went right into the water.

"Wow!" Charisma said running over beside Chi-Chi to take a look. "She's awesome!"

"Hey don't get killed!" Chi-Chi called to her. "Gohan would never forgive me!"

"She's got guts," Bulma said softly.

After a few minutes, there didn't appear to be a sign of Videl or the creature. Chi-Chi took a deep breath. "Well, if no one's going to help that courageous girl, than I'll have to go in!" she announced and jumped off the edge.

"Chi-Chi!" Yamcha called after her.

"ME TOO!" Charisma shouted optimistically with a fist lifted in the air. She ran off the edge as well and dove into the water.

"Charisma, wait!" Yamcha tried to reach for her, nearly losing his balance and falling in. "Oh great…first they nail me with guilt and Bulma's going to kill me for lying to her…" He quickly took off his pants and shirt, clad in nothing more than his tank top and green starred boxers. "Here I go!" He jumped in and joined the others.

Videl was almost about to be swallowed by that thing. Luckily, Chi-Chi and Yamcha had latched on to the beast's right and left arms respectively. Charisma swam over to its tail and began pulling on it, trying to get it to stop fidgeting. Videl took this opportunity to reach the surface and take a breath of air before heading back down.

Master Roshi and 18 watched from the edge of the cliff. 18 glared at him and signaled for him to go help. He immediately began coughing. "I hope…they're okay!"

18 growled and kicked him right on his behind, launching him into the air just as the creature began trying to fly away. "Oh no!" cried Chi-Chi, still holding onto it with the others. "It's gonna eat Roshi!"

The dragon saw the prey falling from the sky and happily opened its mouth to swallow him. Master Roshi panicked but came up with a solution. He covered his nose and let out a huge fart that echoed through the country. The poor animal was in tears and covered its nose.

Chi-Chi let go along with the others, all covering their noses as well. "EWWW!"

"Eww, rancid!"

"That's so disgusting!"

"My nose!"

All four of them fell into the water again. The beast remained in the air, throwing up the dragonball it ate. It spit the thing out like a seed, and it flew like a bullet right into the still airborne Roshi's head. Thankfully, the dragonball was in safe hands and all seven of them were finally together.

"That was definitely one for the record books," Yamcha said when everyone was together on dry land. "Good going, Master Roshi!"

"What an attack!" Bulma swooned happily. "You saved the day!"

"I know we usually give you a lot of grief, but being a dirty old man finally paid off for once!" Chi-Chi announced, causing everyone to laugh.

…

The group quickly boarded the airplane and once again and headed toward Capsule Corp. They gathered around the seven dragonballs which lay on the grass and watched as Bulma began to chant the spell to the earth dragon. The sky began to darken as the dragonballs glowed and the dragon emerged.

Videl and Charisma both watched wide eyed. Videl seemed startled however, while Charisma's eye glistened with wonder and awe. "It's huge!"

"Bring back all of the people who were killed today back to life," Yamcha shouted. "Except the really bad people!"

"It shall be done," the dragon murmured and the wish was granted. "Please make your second wish."

"I wonder if they were really brought back to life," Videl said slowly.

"Of course they were," Chi-Chi replied. "When the dragon grants wishes, he never fails."

"What is you're second wish?" the dragon growled impatiently.

"SECOND WISH? OH NO!" Goku was suddenly standing among them. The group stared at him wide eyed.

"Goku, what are you doing here?" Chi-Chi scolded him. "And where are Gohan and Goten?"

"I'm sorry, but can't explain that now," Goku told her. "But you all have to come with me back to the lookout once I'm finished with my business here."

Goku turned toward the dragon. "You don't have to grant anymore wishes today! We'll call you again sometime! Thanks!"

"As you wish," the dragon said. "Farewell." It retreated into the dragonballs and they lifted up into the sky and flew off into different directions. The sky once again became blue.

"What's gotten into you, Goku?" Yamcha asked him. "We still had a wish that we could've used to help."

Goku explained as much as he could and soon had everyone agreeing on the plan that he had made with Dende, Piccolo, and Krillin. After this, he used his instant transmission technique to return to the lookout with everyone.

…

"What happened to your parents, Bulma?" Krillin asked once everyone was reunited on the tower. "Aren't they coming?"

"I tried to convince them to come along," Bulma explained. "But they just didn't want to leave their stupid pets. They said that if they did meet a gruesome death at the hands of Majin Buu, I could just bring them back to life with the dragonballs."

"Hmm, logic must be genetic," Krillin said.

"You think?" asked Bulma.

"If only I knew where Tien and Chaotzu were, I'd tell them to come on up here, too."

"Hey Goku," Chi-Chi said to her husband. "Where did you say Gohan and Goten were again?"

"Yeah and where are Trunks and Vegeta?" inquired Bulma as well.

Krillin immediately began sweating. Piccolo and Goku's expressions both became solemn and stern. After noticing this, everyone fell silent and a strong sense of apprehension filled each of them.

"Goku," Chi-Chi said slowly. "Where are my sons?"

Goku remained silent for a few seconds before finally speaking up. "What I have to tell you right now isn't easy to say…Trunks and Goten are going to be fine…but Gohan and Vegeta…are dead. Majin Buu killed them both."

Chi-Chi passed out at the news of her son death, while Bulma cried in disbelief. Videl couldn't believe it either. She had grown to care about Gohan deeply ever since they began spending more time together. Her feelings for him were budding and couldn't believe that she'd never get to see him again.

Charisma's eyes remained glued to the ground. 'Gohan…? And uncle Vegeta?' She could feel tears stinging behind her eyes. Her bottom lip trembled as she heard the cries of despair coming from behind her. She tightened her fist and lifted it up to her eyes and wiped away the small tears that were beginning to spill.

She turned around and looked up at Bulma, who was crying in Yamcha's arms. "Auntie?" she said softly.

Bulma slowly looked down at the girl. "…Charisma…" she said in between a sob.

"Don't be sad," Charisma softly said. "We can bring them back with the dragonballs once Goku kills Majin Buu, can't we?"

Bulma stared down Charisma. Bulma was worried and although she knew that Vegeta could be brought back to life, she still couldn't help but mourn the loss of her love, or the loss of her beloved friend, Gohan. But she could see in Charisma's eyes that the girl wanted to be strong.

"You're right," Bulma smiled through her tears and patted Charisma on her blonde head. "But will you be okay? Is it all right if I cry just a little?"

Charisma wrapped her arms around Bulma. "Of course it is…" she nodded against Bulma's stomach.

* * *

_Please review! Please say let me knwo that you're still with me! **D: **If so, then see ya next chapter! **:D**_


	9. Friendship

_Author's Note: _Hello, everybody! I've decided that for this chapter, I'm going to skip ahead to after the time that Buu has already been defeated. I'm sure I would take forever recapping everything and I think it would be pointless and redundant. So I'm just going on with my story after all that happened.

So I hope you don't mind. I'm sure you know how Goku defeated Buu and all that stuff. So I'm just going to start off with a quick recap and then move on with my story. Enjoy!

_Chapter 9:_

_Friendship_

Within the next few weeks, the world was in turmoil and its future was uncertain. Goku had to teach Trunks and Goten a new fusion technique in only a few short hours before his departure to the other world once again. He left them in the hands of Piccolo, who nearly lost his sanity when it came to getting those two to listen and follow directions.

Majin Buu eventually became a good guy, after releasing an even more vile being from his body, a second Buu, and we destroyed at his hands. Gotenks, the product of Goten and Trunks' fusion, were almost successful in destroy Super Buu, but failed, thanks to their limited skill and maturity level.

But everything worked out in the end, and after Evil Buu was defeated by Goku and Vegeta, peace once again began to return to the earth.

Charisma and Trunks returned to school within a few months. This warm, sunny morning, their parents decided that it was all right for them to walk to school on their own. After all, they weren't normal humans, so there wasn't really anything to fear about them getting abducted or anything of that nature.

"I'm so excited about going back to school!" Charisma said cheerfully as the two friends rounded a corner. "I can't wait to see all my friends!"

Trunks scoffed and dug his hands into the pockets of his black trousers. "I don't see why you're so happy. We're going to get tons of homework, remember?"

"What are you complaining about?" Charisma asked. "You're like the smartest kid in class."

"That doesn't mean I like working." Trunks sighed and placed his arms behind his head. "I can't wait till summer vacation…"

"We haven't even set foot in school yet and you're already thinking of that, huh?" Charisma shook her head and looked up at the large building up ahead, Orange Star Elementary School. "You're no fun. I'll see you at school, okay?"

Charisma ran off jovially toward the school. Trunks stopped in his place and watched as Charisma waved at a group of her friends. Amongst them was Misa, whom Trunks couldn't stand very much.

Trunks's eyes soften as he watched Charisma hugging her friends and giggling among them. He shook his head and grumbled. "I wish Goten were here…"

----

"It feels great to be a third grader now, doesn't it?" Charisma's friend Lise said happily as she joined her friends at a table during lunch time. Charisma's other friends, Nia and April, as well as Misa, sat there as well.

"I don't feel any different," commented Nia.

"Guess what? My sister got a new boyfriend," April informed her friends.

"Really?" asked Misa. "She's got a lot of boyfriends…"

"Yeah," agreed Lise as she picked at the food on her tray with her fork. "She's so lucky. I want a boyfriend sometimes."

The girls giggled coyly at this. "Who do you want to be your boyfriend?" asked April.

"I don't know," Lise replied and shook her head. "I don't think my parents would let me have one, anyway. I think they would freak out."

"That's true," Charisma spoke up. "Anyway, aren't we too young to be talking about boyfriends and stuff? My dad says I'm not allowed to get a boyfriend until I graduate college."

"That's too long from now!" Nia protested. "Are you crazy?"

"No!" Charisma shook her head. "That's what my dad says…"

"What do you think?" asked Misa, pointing at Charisma. "Do you want a boyfriend?"

Charisma shrugged. "I don't care about boys…"

"That's a lie!" Lise giggled and leaned closer to the blonde girl. "…You know what we think?"

"What?"

Lise and the other girls exchanged glances with almost mischievous grins. The brown haired girl leaned over toward Charisma again. "…We think you already have a boyfriend…"

Charisma's blue eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Who…?"

The girls simultaneously pointed their fingers across the cafeteria to a boy in the corner. Charisma's eyes nearly bulged out of her head when she noticed who it was.

"WHAAAAT?!"

The entire cafeteria grew silent as the stares of everyone in the lunchroom penetrated Charisma's petite self. She looked around and blushed. She had stood up in shock from what her friends and told her, making her feel even more embarrassed. She slowly slumped into her seat.

"…So it's true?" Misa asked as she leaned over toward Charisma.

"NO!" Charisma said angrily, sitting up right. "You've got it all wrong. We're not boyfriend and girlfriend. He's just my friend and that's it."

"Then why are you two always together?" asked Lise.

"Because we're friends!" Charisma answered with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Since when is it a crime to hang out with a friend who just happens to be a boy? I don't see what the big deal is!"

"But…"

"Enough!" Charisma stood up. "Trunks and I have known each other since we were babies. That's why we're so close…and even so…" Charisma looked over at Trunks who sat alone at the other end of the hall. "…Trunks doesn't act like a boyfriend, and sometimes he doesn't act like much of a friend, either. But he is my friend and that's all there is to it."

The bell suddenly rang and the children in the cafeteria pretty much stampeded their way out of the room and out to the playground. When they all left, Trunks trudged along and went outside, too. The girl friends remained and watched as he made his way through the door.

Charisma grabbed her tray and dumped it into a nearby trash can and left, too. Her friends exchanged glances and followed along.

----

"We're sorry if we upset you, Charisma," Misa apologized with the girls.

"Yeah," agreed Nia. "You seem sad now."

Charisma shook her head and smiled. "I'm not sad. I guess I just never really thought of Trunks that way…and it's kind of weird. It scares me…"

"He's too much of a friend to consider him a boyfriend, huh?" said April. "I always hear my sister saying things like that to her friends."

Charisma was about to say something but she heard commotion coming from a few feet away on the other end of the school yard. She looked over and saw Trunks surrounded by a few fourth graders and two third graders from their class.

"So you have a girlfriend now, do you?" one of the fourth graders taunted.

Trunks looked up at him. "What are you talking about?"

"We know about it already," another fourth grader interjected. "You and that girl are in love." The other boys laughed about it.

"Who the hell are you talking about?" Trunks demanded.

"We're talking about that little blonde girl, pipsqueak," said another boy.

"Yeah, Charisma," said a third grader. "From our class…"

Trunks's eyes widened to the size of two sky lights. "WHAT THE HELL?!"

Charisma stopped in her tracks right behind the crowd of boys. They snickered and turned around to look down at her.

"Here she is," said one of the boys.

"What?" she asked.

"Charisma," Trunks growled walking over to her angrily. "What have you been telling people?"

"What are you talking about?" Charisma asked, not really sure what he was talking about.

"About us!" Trunks snarled and grabbed her hand. "We need to go talk in private!"

The two of them immediately silenced when they heard the crowd of kids swooning and whistling. Trunks and Charisma looked to each other and noticed that they were holding hands. Gasping, the immediately let go and blushed furiously. The crowd continued cheering and the two friends had enough.

"SHUT UP OR I'LL BLAST YOU ALL!" they both screamed madly at the same time, startling the children and causing everyone to immediately shut up as they were told.

----

After school, both Trunks and Charisma walked alone instead of walking with each other. Charisma walked about twenty feet ahead of Trunks. Things within the next few days didn't go any better. The feeling between them went from familiar to awkward and uncomfortable.

They couldn't stand to be together anymore and so they went on with their school lives as far from each other as possible. Charisma didn't go over to Trunks's house as much as she used to, even with the thought that Trunks's grandmother had offered her tea and an assortment of cakes and other desserts.

Trunks hardly went over to Charisma's house to begin with, but he did have to get used to not having her around to pester him about things that happened in school, those of which he had no interest in.

Misa and the other girls began to notice that Charisma seemed unhappier than usual as well. She didn't speak as much anymore and was starting prefer being alone at times.

About a week after the lunchroom incident, Charisma and Trunks were forced together during a weekend when Charisma's parents were going to be out of town. She was left under the care of Bulma, of course, and she wasn't too happy about having to see Trunks.

Either way, they didn't speak to each other much, but they did exchange empty glances every now and then.

On one of those days, Goten came over with his family to visit and sat with them outside. He immediately noticed the uneasy atmosphere and the fact that Trunks and Charisma sat on opposite ends of the yard was a dead give away that something wasn't right between the two.

"Trunks," Goten asked his friend curiously. Trunks was sitting on the grass and Goten took a seat beside him. "Why aren't you and Charisma talking to each other?"

Trunks growled. "I don't really feel like talking about it," he said. "But I guess I'll let you know since you're my only friend now…"

"Only friend?" repeated Goten. "What about Charisma?"

"She spread a rumor about me," Trunks explained.

"A rumor? What's that?"

Trunks looked at him with an annoyed look. "You don't know much, do you?"

Goten chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "I guess not!"

Trunks rolled his eyes. "Well, people were talking about us being girlfriend and boyfriend and they won't shut up about it…"

"WHAT?! YOU'RE BOYFRIEND AND GIRLFRIEND?!" Now Goten's eyes were the ones about to roll out of his sockets.

"No!" Trunks said firmly. "We're not. But that's what everyone thinks because of Charisma. I can't be seen with her anymore. And she doesn't want to be seen with me, either."

"But that's not right," Goten said. "The both of you are supposed to be friends forever. We're all supposed to be friends forever. How can we do that if you two hate each other?"

Trunks remained silent and Goten stood up. He went over to the other end of the yard where Charisma sat on the grass over there.

"Charisma," Goten said as he went over to her and sat. "Is it true that you want to be Trunks's girlfriend?"

Charisma gasped and turned around to look at him. "Of course not! Did Trunks say that? Is that what he thinks?"

"I think so."

Charisma stood up and growled as she stomped her way over to where Trunks sat. "Hey you!" she angrily called to him.

Trunks stood up and looked at her. "What do you want?"

"I don't want anything from you! I wasn't the one who started those rumors! My friends were just joking and I guess someone overheard. And I especially don't want to be your girlfriend, so don't get so excited!"

Trunks gasped. He was thrown back for a minute but growled and retorted. "What?! Well, I don't want to be your boyfriend either! Even if I were interested in having a girlfriend, I wouldn't want a girlfriend as stupid as you!"

Charisma gasped as well but shook her head. "I don't care!" she angrily cried and ran off to her house. She sat on the small swing in her yard and cried.

----

Goten sat alone now on the grass at Trunks's house. Trunks sat on the other end of the yard, all alone again.

"This is terrible," he said to himself. "They're not supposed to be fighting. How am I supposed to be friends with both of them like this?"

He noticed a shadow dwelling above him and turned around. A girl with dark purple hair stood above him.

"Do you know where I can find Charisma?" she asked.

Goten stood up. "Hi, Misa. Charisma's at her house."

"Really?" Misa asked. "But I thought her parents went on a trip somewhere…"

"They did," Goten said. "But Trunks and Charisma got into fight and so she got upset and left."

"Oh my gosh," said Misa as she turned and saw Trunks sitting on the grass. "So they're not friends anymore, huh?"

"Nope," Goten confirmed sadly. "I can't stand it like this."

"Me either," Misa agreed. "Charisma seems so sad lately. She's not herself. And Trunks is always quiet in school, but he's just…even worse somehow."

"That's terrible…" Goten said and shook his head. "I wish there was something we could do…"

Misa nodded and was about to speak, but a light bulb suddenly flickered above her head. She turned toward Goten. "I have an idea!"

"Huh?!"

"I think I have a plan to get those two to be friends again!"

Goten smiled and nodded. "That's great! What is it?!"

Misa put her arm around her shoulder. "We're gonna need some blindfolds and some good acting…are you up for it?"

"Yeah!"

Within a few minutes, Misa and Goten decided to put their plan in motion. Misa went off to go get Charisma while Goten spoke with Trunks.

Somehow, Misa was able to convince Charisma to play tag with just her. Goten did the same, persuading Trunks to play tag with just him, as well.

"You're going to be it, though," Misa told Charisma as they entered Trunks's yard once again. Charisma agreed to do it. "You have to wear this blindfold, though."

"What?" she protested. "But why?"

"It'll be more fun!"

Charisma didn't feel so good about this, but agreed to do it.

Goten, on the other side of the yard, was telling Trunks to do the same thing. Trunks put up more of a fight, but was eventually convinced into getting blindfolded.

"Now, I'm going to take you somewhere in the yard," Misa said as she adjusted the blindfold on Charisma. "You can't see, can you?"

"I only see blackness…"

"Good! Now here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to take you somewhere and then you count to ten in your head, okay?"

"Why in my head?"

"Because, those are the rules!"

"…Okay?"

"Okay, so that's what I'm going to do. Are you ready?"

"I guess…"

"All right…" Misa looked over to the other side of the yard and Goten looked back at her with a thumb up. She nodded and led Charisma to a bush as Goten proceeded to lead Trunks to the same bush as well.

Misa and Goten sat down their friends silently about a foot away from each other. They silently ran off to watch what would happen from afar. Charisma and Trunks sat there like idiots, waiting to be told to start counting.

"Goten?"

"Misa?"

The two called out the names at the same time. They gasped when they heard the other's voice. Their hands moved across the grass and Charisma's hand ended up on top of Trunks's hand.

They took off their blindfolds, almost on cue, and looked at each other. A loud scream emitted from the both of them scared the birds and squirrels right out of a nearby tree.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Trunks demanded to know.

"I'm playing tag with Misa! What are you doing here?!"

"I'm playing tag with Goten!"

"We were set up!" Charisma angrily said standing up. "This is horrible! I don't wanna see you!"

"I don't want to see you either!"

Misa and Goten ran over to the two stood between them. "You two need to stop fighting already," Misa said to them. "We're all tired of this, especially Goten."

"Yeah, especially me!" he said. Charisma and Trunks looked at him blankly. "You're best friends," Goten said. "You're supposed to be best friends. We've all known each other since the beginning of forever. Can't you two just make up? This is stupid!"

"Yeah," Misa interjected. "It is stupid. Why would you let what someone else say break up your friendship? If you're not actually boyfriend and girlfriend, then why do you get so mad when people ask, anyway?"

Charisma rolled her eyes. Trunks crossed him arms.

Misa went up closer to Charisma. "I can't believe you're acting this way, Strawberry. This isn't like you at all. Charisma would never turn her back on a friend, and yet that's exactly what you're doing here."

Goten, likewise, went up to Trunks. "And you, you're supposed to be the older one. You're supposed to be bigger than both me and Charisma, but you're acting like a big baby!"

Charisma's eyes fell to the ground. Trunks's eyes did, too, as the words began to dwell in between the both of them. Misa sighed after a moment of silence and grabbed Charisma's wrist. They all looked at the shimmering silver bracelet that adorned it. Numerous small charms glistened in the sun.

"Don't you remember, Charisma? Each one of these charms was given to you by a friend. If you really don't care about Trunks's friendship, and if it really doesn't mean anything to you anymore, then grab his charm and throw it away."

"His charm?" repeated Charisma, looking up at Trunks.

"Yeah, you remember, don't you?" Misa said. "He gave it to you for your birthday last year. Does it ring a bell?"

Charisma gently pulled her wrist out of Misa's grasp. She stared down at the charms and her fingers grabbed on to the strawberry charm. The four children remained silent.

Charisma finally shook her head and looked up at Trunks. "I could never do that. I love having you as a friend, Trunks. I really do, and your charm is very precious to me."

Trunks understood this, but he said nothing and just continued staring at her.

"I'm sorry, Trunks…" she apologized.

Misa and Goten looked over at Trunks. Obviously, Trunks had inherited his father's unwavering pride and didn't want to say anything. Actually, he really did want to apologize, but something just held him back.

Charisma smiled up at him anyway and lunged at him, grabbing on to him and hugging onto him tightly. He gasped and blushed, immediately to be hugged by Misa and Goten, too.

----

Later that night, Charisma walked through the halls of the Capsule Corp. house. She crept up to a familiar door and knocked.

"Who is it?"

"It's me…"

There was silence. Charisma frowned and was about to turn around, but a voice finally spoke up. "You can come in."

Charisma smiled and opened the door. Trunks was sitting on his bed with his arms crossed. Charisma approached him.

"I'm glad I got to apologize to you," she said to him. "I just…wanted to make sure that you're not still mad at me." Trunks stared at her and shook his head with a blank look in his eyes. Charisma smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Trunks."

She was about to turn around when she felt him grab onto her wrist. She looked back at him and watched as he placed something into her hand. Confused, she slowly drew her hand up to her face and opened it. Within her palm, Charisma found a star charm for her bracelet.

"Where did you get this?" she asked.

"…My mom…" he explained. "I asked her to buy it for you a few months ago…I was going to give it to you, but I didn't know if you'd want it or not."

Charisma blushed but brought up her hands around her mouth as she giggled. "You're silly. You know that I'd want it." She jumped on the bed beside him and sat. She attached the charm to her bracelet and held out her hand. The charms gently clanked together like a wind chime.

Trunks knew that Charisma would love it. For some reason, however, he could never bring himself to give it to her. Shyness, perhaps, but he wasn't the type of boy to admit that.

"Thank you," she said and got off the bed. "Good night, Trunks."

Charisma happily skipped out of the room and shut the door. She leaned against it and sighed, holding the charms close to her heart. "I'll never forget this," she hummed with a smile as she skipped back to her room.


	10. High School

_Author's Note: _Hi people! Wow, it's been some time since I last updated. I've been super busy lately. I hope you're still with me though! I skipped over a few years, but I plan on putting a few flashbacks throughout the remainder of this story, just to further strengthen and give more incite on the relationship between Trunks and Charisma. I think you will like it :) At least, I hope you do. ^^; Enjoy!

_Chapter 10:_

_High School_

The numerous different charms clanked together like a wind chime as Charisma lifted her wrist to adjust the bracelet. She smiled as she quickly counted each and every charm. She giggled proudly and finished putting on her orange vest.

"Charisma, Misa is here!" her mother's voice called from downstairs.

"I'm coming!" Charisma shouted back as she added a few finishing touches to her long, wavy hair. Charisma grabbed her backpack and ran down the stairs toward the front door.

"Aren't you going to have breakfast today, dear?" Kaylei asked her daughter.

"I'll eat at school, Mom," replied Charisma as she opened the door.

"Hi, Charisma!" Misa energetically waved at her friend. "Are you ready for the first day of school? Can you believe we're in twelfth grade already?"

"Yeah," Charisma replied as she stepped out the door. "Just a few more months until graduation…and it feels so soon, doesn't it?"

"It sure does," Kaylei said from behind them. "You're all so grown up already…" Kaylei's eyes began tearing up dramatically. "My only daughter is ready to graduate high school! I'm getting so old…"

Charisma blushed but smiled as she walked over to her mom. "Please, Mom…"

Kaylei patted Charisma's back. "I'll be okay…"

"Where's Dad, anyway?" asked Charisma.

"He had some important meeting with his colleagues. I think he said something about some break through discovery…I don't know. I really don't know anything about all this scientific stuff."

"Oh…well, we'd better get going." Charisma began walking off with Misa. "See ya later!"

"Good bye, Mrs. Mayol!" waved Misa before Kaylei waved back and disappeared into the house. "I'm so excited!" Misa said to Charisma. "We're almost done!"

"Yeah," replied Charisma. "What are you planning on doing after high school?"

Misa put a finger on her chin and thought about it. "I really don't know…Most likely, my parents will send me to college. What about you?"

"I'm not exactly sure, either. I really haven't thought about it much."

"You're lucky, though, Charisma. Your parents have a lot of money, so you don't even have to worry about being poor or anything, even without college."

"I suppose…but I really want to do something with myself. I don't just want to mooch off my parents forever, you know."

"That's true…" Misa sighed and looked up at the sky. "…So this is what it feels like to be an adult, huh?"

Charisma laughed at that statement. "We're not adults yet, Misa. I'm not even seventeen yet. We've still got lots of time to be young."

As the girls rounded a corner, they noticed two boys coming out of the Capsule Corp house. "Hey, you guys!" Misa called to them and began waving ecstatically.

Charisma ran over to the boys. "Hey, are you guys ready for school?"

"Yeah, we were just about to head out," Goten told her.

"I'm so happy you get to attend this year, Goten," Misa said happily. "We're really going to have fun this time around!"

"I am the life of the party, aren't I?" Goten said arrogantly with a smirk.

"You sure are," Charisma giggled and turned toward Trunks. "What about you? Don't you think it's great that Goten gets to go to high school with us?"

"Yeah, it's cool," agreed Trunks. "I'm just not really sure how Goten even got advanced to twelfth grade, though…"

"You know how my mom is," Goten informed his friends as they began walking. "She is determined in making me as smart as Gohan is. But I don't know…I really hate studying. I'd much rather go out and have some fun."

"Same here!" Misa said. "But it's important to start working really hard this year if you want to get into a good college…"

"I'm not going to college," Trunks said. "I'm supposed to inherit Capsule Corp from my mother anyway. There isn't a point in me going…"

"Aww!" Misa whined with disappointment. "That means none of you are going to college with me, huh?"

"I might go," said Charisma. "I'm not sure yet, though. But I just might…"

"I hope you do. I don't want to be alone."

Charisma looked over at Trunks and gently nudged him on the arm with her elbow. He looked down at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Charisma said softly. "I just think this uniform looks really nice on you, but you don't look too happy."

Trunks turned his head to the other direction in an attempt to his blushing cheeks. "I'm not exactly as enthusiastic about school as you are."

"I know that. You've never been…but you're so smart. I wouldn't be gloomy if I were as smart as you."

Trunks smiled at her and shook his head. "I guess, but I really don't see the point in going to high school if it's not even necessary. I'm going to inherit Capsule Corp no matter what."

"Is that what you're worried about?" asked Charisma. "You're worried about handling the company…but you're not supposed take over for another couple of years, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but I'm really not looking forward to it. Don't tell my mom I said that…"

"I won't," Charisma giggled. "But you shouldn't be so sad about it. I think it'll be fun. I know it'll be a lot of work, but you can do it. I've told you before that you're really smart. You can do it. Besides, in a few years, you'll be ready."

Trunks stared down at her. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Charisma nodded her head.

"…I'm thinking about having you work for Capsule Corp as well when I inherit it."

"Really? Like what kind of job?"

"I'm not sure yet," he replied. "But you're really good at finance. I think you'd be a great accountant."

Charisma clapped her hands happily. "So you're guaranteeing me a job?"

"I can't exactly guarantee it, but I'll do what I can."

Charisma giggled happily and smiled up at him. "That sounds great. I really hope so. It would be great for us to work together, you know. We do a lot of things together. It would be wonderful!"

Misa smiled to herself as she silently overhead the conversation. Goten noticed the look on her face. "What are you smiling about?" he asked. Misa shook her head.

"Oh, nothing…" She turned to look back at the two friends. "We're going ahead, if you guys don't mind."

Goten gasped and looked at her. "We are?"

"Yeah! Let's go!"

Goten stared at her for a few seconds before shrugging. "Sure! Jump on my back. I don't know where the school is so you'll have to show me." Without another word, Misa jumped on Goten's back. Goten smiled at the two friends before taking to the sky.

"Sometimes I wonder what goes on between those two," Trunks commented.

"Don't tell Misa I told you this, but she just broke up with her boyfriend a few days ago," Charisma informed Trunks as they continued walking together. "You know Goten…he can smell a broken heart from a mile away and he's probably trying to make a move on her." Charisma shook her head with a smile. "But I doubt he'll get very far."

Trunks chuckled at that statement. "I don't trust Goten, though. Let's follow them and see what happens."

"All right," Charisma agreed. "Let's go." She ran a few feet and was about to take off before Trunks called out to her. She turned back around to stare at him.

"Your uniform looks really nice on you, too, Charisma," he said softly. Charisma blushed and smiled at him.

"Thank you!" She turned around and took to the sky. Trunks watched as she flew up a few feet before flying off, too.

The four friends arrived at Orange Star High School within a few minutes. They eventually caught up with each other and entered the large building together.

"This place is huge, and the girls here are beautiful!" Goten gawked at a few female students as they made their way to the main office.

"Don't get lost now, Goten," Charisma said, grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him along. "I know this is your first time in a public school, but please don't make it so obvious. The seniors and even the sophomores will tear you apart."

"I highly doubt that," said Trunks. "It'll be the other way around…"

Charisma thought about that and realized that it was true. Goten wasn't some nerdy and frail teenager. He really didn't like martial arts as much as he used to when he was a child but he was still a half-Saiyan and occasionally trained with his father.

"Would you look at that line?" Misa said as the four friends made their way to the main office. "I really don't know why they don't simply mail out schedules. It would be much less of a hassle…"

"I guess we have no choice but to stand here and wait," Trunks said, leaning against a wall and crossing his arms.

"There are a lot of new students this year," Charisma said as she studied the crowd with her eyes. She noticed a dark haired boy standing across the room by the principle's office. He looked up and smiled at her warmly. Charisma blushed but waved and smiled back.

Trunks narrowed his eyes, unbeknownst to everyone around.

Charisma was startled when Misa suddenly nudged her playfully. "Oh my, Strawberry! Someone's got a crush on you already!" she giggled and patted Charisma on the shoulder.

Charisma shook her head. "What are you talking about?" she demanded. "He was just being friendly!"

"No such thing!" replied Misa slyly. "Just watch…wait and see, he'll eventually find you in the halls and want to start a conversation with you. Then he'll ask you for your number and for your homeroom number…and then he'll walk you to class and…"

"Okay, I get the point, Misa!" Charisma covered her ears.

Goten was too busy looking at his fellow female classmates to notice anything else. He turned to Trunks to say something but was surprised when he saw the look on his friend's face. "Trunks…what are you looking at? What's wrong?"

Trunks jumped slightly and looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"You look really mad," explained Goten. "…You look like you're ready to blast someone or something…"

"I'm not looking at anything. What are you talking about?"

Goten decided to not drag the conversation on, knowing that he would not succeed in getting an explanation from Trunks. Goten knew for sure that Trunks was upset about something, anyway. Maybe it was just because school was beginning all over again.

"Charisma, look over there!" Misa suddenly exclaimed, brimming with excitement. "Is that who I think it is?"

Charisma turned her head to that direction and smiled. "Yes, Misa! That's Lise!"

"Lise?" repeated Trunks.

"Yeah, don't you remember her?" Misa explained. "We were in the same classes until ninth grade. What do you think she's doing here?"

"She must've transferred from that other high school," said Charisma. She grabbed Trunks by the arm and dragged him to her spot. "Hold our place, will ya? I have to go say hi!"

Before Trunks could protest, the two girls were already on the other side of the main office. "Girls…" he muttered.

"Hi, Lise!" Misa and Charisma called out to the girl jovially.

The brown haired girl turned around and squealed with delight. "Charisma! Misa! It's been a long time!"

"It sure has," replied Charisma. "How's it been? Why are you here?"

"I transferred here from Birch High," Lise explained as she felt the softness of her new uniform's orange vest. "I didn't really like it there very much. I ended up getting involved with some really mean girls and they ended up turning against me. They spread some really nasty rumors around the school about me and I couldn't stand to be there anymore. I thought things might be better here."

"That's awful…" Misa said sympathetically but smiled. "At least you're here with us. Nothing like that will happen here…and those Birch uniforms aren't as pretty as these, either, unfortunately for them."

Lise laughed and put her arms around her friends. "I definitely agree with that. I'm so glad that you're both still here. I remember you girls had told me before eighth grade graduation that you were planning on coming here. I should've come here, too."

"Don't worry about that," Charisma said, putting her arm around her old friend. "Be happy that you're here at all. We're gonna have some fun this year."

"GIRLS!" Trunks bellowed with a deep red face. The three friends turned to see Trunks and Goten just a few people away from the front desks. "We can't wait forever! Hurry up or you'll lose your spots!"

Charisma and Misa simultaneously rolled their eyes.

"We'll see you later," Misa told Lise. "I hope we'll be in the same class!"

"Me, too!" Lise agreed. "See ya!"

"Don't you girls ever get tired of talking?" Trunks mumbled as the two girls took their places in the line again.

"Don't you ever get tired of being a pain in the booty?" Charisma retorted and turned away from him. "You really can be sometimes…"

"Look who's talking!" he grumbled, crossing his arms.

Misa just giggled at the two and looked over at Goten to see him gaping at another group of pretty female students.

"Goten, you're drooling! That's gross!" she blurted.

"WHAT?" Goten spun around to look at Misa and wiped away a small trace of saliva from the corner of his mouth. "…Uh…this is not what you think it is!"

Misa put a hand over her lips as she laughed. "Sure it's not…"

"Finally, we're next!" Charisma happily clapped as she made her way to the first front desk. The four friends quickly received their schedules and headed out to the crowded hallway. They immediately compared classes with each other.

"We're all going to have gym together," Misa announced. "But that's about it."

"I think I'm pretty lucky compared to the rest of you," Charisma declared contentedly. "I get to have each class with at least one of you. For my first class, Calculus, Trunks and I will be together. Then next class, Chemistry, Goten and me. After that, Literature with Misa, and then this one class when I'll be alone. And after that, I have gym with all of you. Yay!"

"I have one class with both Goten and Trunks," Misa said, looking up at the two boys.

"Lucky!" Charisma replied before turning to the boys as well. "What about you guys?"

"I have one class with you, Charisma," Goten explained as he studied his schedule. "Then that one with Trunks and Misa. After that, I'm all alone until Phys. Ed."

"I'm the same," Trunks said. "We'd better get going, Charisma…our class should be starting soon."

"Yeah," she agreed. She turned to her other friends. "You should show Goten to his class, Misa. We wouldn't want him getting lost or distracted by another pretty girl."

"That's a good idea," Misa giggled and grabbed Goten by the arm. "We'll see you guys at lunch!"

* * *

_Chapter 11 is on the way so look for it soon! Please review! :)_


	11. First Day, New Encounters

_Author's Note:_ Yay! I'm so glad you guys still remembered this story. :) I've suddenly been inspired to write, I don't know why. I think that it's because, out of boredom, I began watching a few episodes of DBZ again and visiting fan sites. I love the internet! Don't you? :D

By the way, any flashbacks from no on will be in _italics_, just so you know.

_Chapter 11:_

_First Day and New Encounters_

Charisma and Trunks stopped made their way through the school and up to the fifth floor. "This is it," Trunks said, pointing toward a door at the end of the hall.

"Yeah, let's go!" Charisma grabbed Trunks and happily pulled him along. She stopped dead in her tracks, releasing Trunks and nearly causing him to fall over right on his face.

"Charisma!" He was about to yell her ears out, until he noticed a dazed look on her face. He lifted his eyes and noticed the same boy from the office making his way from the other side of the hall. "Charisma?" Trunks waved a hand in front of her face.

Charisma shook her head and looked up at Trunks. "What are we waiting for? Let's get to class!"

Charisma ran off and opened the door and walked inside. Trunks sighed and slowly approached the door. He opened it and glared at the boy down the hall before entering. Charisma sat on a seat at the second row up front. Trunks unhurriedly took a seat beside her. Charisma turned to look at him.

"This is gonna be great!" she happily told him. "We get to be together! Doesn't that make you happy?"

"I suppose," he said coldly. "It's better than being alone, I guess."

Charisma frowned and turned her head away from him. She heard the seat on her other side move and looked up to see who would occupy that place. She gasped when she noticed who it was.

"Hello," the dark haired boy greeted with another warm smile.

Charisma blushed and nodded her head. "Hi…"

"My name is Mace," he introduced himself as he made himself comfortable. "I'm new here. I almost got lost this morning."

"I'm Charisma," the blonde girl giggled and smiled up at him. "I've been here since ninth grade…I remember getting lost for the first time. It was terrible. I can help you get around and familiarize you with this place…if you'd like."

"I would like that," Mace grinned leaning closer towards her. "That would make me really happy."

"I'm glad!" smiled Charisma.

Trunks candidly threw a dirty look at Mace from the corner of his eye. The teacher walked into the large classroom and introduced himself. Trunks and Charisma barely spoke to each other. Mace ended up spending more time talking with Charisma and getting to know her a little better, despite the teacher's introductory lecture.

After the class was dismissed, Charisma pretty much forgot about Trunks and walked down the halls with her new friend. "What class do you have next?" Mace asked her.

Charisma grabbed her schedule from her pocket and skimmed through it. "I have chemistry," she announced. "That's great!" she added sarcastically.

Mace chuckled at her tone. "I have a different class than you now. I guess I'll see you around." He gave her and affectionate grin and walked off in a different direction.

Charisma smiled up at him and nodded her head. She waved and headed off to her next class. On her way there, she found Goten leaning against a wall opposite the classroom door with a girl. Charisma smirked and walked up to him, placing a hand on her hips. The other girl was smiling loving at Goten until she noticed Charisma. She stood up straight and Goten turned around.

"Charisma!" he sputtered frantically. "This is not what it seems!"

"You have a girlfriend?" the other girl angrily asked.

"Relax, I'm not his girlfriend," Charisma giggled lightheartedly and waved her hand in front of her face. "I'm more like his sister…but, he's gonna be late to class. We can't have that, right, Goten?"

"Yeah," he nervously began sweating. He turned to the girl. "I'll see ya around." The girl silently turned around and walked off. The two friends went into the class together.

"You're such a playboy, Goten," Charisma laughed as the two took a seat at the front of the classroom.

Goten chuckled uneasily. "How was your last class?"

"Interesting…I got to see that boy again…"

"What boy?"

"The one that smiled at me in the main office this morning," Charisma elucidated. "He's really nice and really sweet…Maybe I should gush over him with Misa instead of you, huh, Goten?"

"I really don't mind," he answered. "I actually get to learn a little more about how the mind of the female works."

"Oh my," Charisma rolled her eyes and giggled. "I promised your mother that I'd keep my eye on you. That was the first condition she gave in order to let you come to a public school, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember, all right…does it hurt if I just look around?"

"I suppose not," she shrugged as she smiled at him.

"That's good to hear," Goten said, turning his head to a passing girl.

"Don't push you luck, Goten!" Charisma laughed, playfully slapping his shoulder.

…

The rest of the day went on as usual incident. The friends met up during lunch time to discuss their opinions of the professors. Charisma moved on to her next class, where she was separated from her friends. As she entered the class, she noticed someone familiar.

"It's him," she whispered loud enough for her own ears. She briskly trotted over to her new friend. "Hi, Mace! Looks like we have the same class again!"

Mace stood up and smiled politely at her. "I see…that's very good. I was beginning to miss you already."

Charisma's eyes widened and a bright blush colored her cheeks. She smiled shyly at him. Mace pulled out a seat beside him and offered it to her. Charisma grinned happily and took the seat. "Thank you…"

Once again, Mace gave more attention to his new friend than he gave to the teacher. Charisma noticed the look in his eyes and smiled. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I can't help it," he said smoothly. "I just think you're the most beautiful girl in this school…"

Charisma stared at him with wide eyes and a red face. She turned away from him coyly and looked down at her book. "Really?"

"Yes, really…" he replied.

"Thank you…" Charisma smiled up at him sweetly. She really didn't know how to act. She'd never received this much attention from someone. Either way, she knew she was beginning to like him. After the class ended, Charisma headed off to her next class with Misa. As they sat there waiting for their professor, Charisma informed her friend about what had happened.

"Oh, my Charisma! You see, I told you, didn't I?" Misa giggled like a giddy little girl. "I can't believe it! You've got an admirer!"

Charisma couldn't control the blood that rushed to her cheeks. "Misa, shut up already!" As Charisma turned her head, she saw a girl with red-dyed hair strut down the isle and take a seat up front. Numerous guys turned to see her make her way as well. Her blouse seemed a bit too small, exposing bits of skin along her stomach as she bent over to place her book bag on the ground beside her feet.

'It can't be…' Charisma thought with shocked eyes. 'But I think it is…that's her'

Misa noticed the perplexed look on Charisma's face. She gently nudged at her friend's shoulder. "Strawberry? What's up? Is there something wrong?"

Charisma slowly turned towards Misa. "I think I just recognized an unpleasant face…"

"Huh?"

"I'll explain it to you later," Charisma said as the teacher made his way to the front of the class.

…

The rest of the day went on smoothly. Gym class today was cancelled, since the coach hadn't returned yet from his summer vacation.

"I can't wait till school is over for good," Trunks declared as he walked outside towards the gates of the school with Goten.

"School is really boring," Goten agree, but added sly, "but the girls here are gorgeous! I am so glad that I came here!"

"Yeah, I suppose…"

"What do you mean? Haven't you noticed any of them? You really should get into the dating scene, Trunks. You don't know what you're missing!" Trunks sighed and crossed his arms and leaned against the gate. "By the way," Goten added. "I think Charisma is going to start dating…"

Trunks growled lowly and stared at Goten dead on. "How do you know?"

"Didn't you notice that guy at the office this morning?" asked Goten. "He was giving her the look…and believe me, I know what the 'look' looks like. It's only a matter of time before he makes his move…and judging by the look in Charisma's eyes today, I'd say she's probably hooked!"

Goten noticed the fiery look in Trunks' eyes again, the same look he had in the morning. It was enough to send a cold sweat on Goten's body, and he knew that it'd be best to drop the subject. Goten knew how Trunks was on the subject. Trunks was rather protective of Charisma, so much that Charisma's own father had trusted him in protecting his only daughter as much as possible. It seemed Trunks took that responsibility seriously…maybe too seriously.

Meanwhile, Misa and Charisma once again met up within the halls of the school.

"So, tell me," Misa began saying as she walked off with Charisma towards the exit. "What were you looking at so intently during class?"

Misa noticed Charisma's shoulder's drop slightly. "Misa…" she said."Do you remember a few years ago…that there was this really nasty, conceited, arrogant girl in our class in eighth grade?"

Misa's eyes widened and she gasped. "No way… Don't tell me she's here…"

Charisma nodded with a big frown on her face. "Yup… Sorry, Misa. I wish it weren't true…"

There was a silence between the two friends for a few seconds before Misa spoke up. "She was Trunks' first and only girlfriend to date, wasn't she?" Charisma's eyes stared absent-mindedly at the patterned tiles of the floor.

"Yeah…" Charisma shut her eyes momentarily for a second before opening them again.

…

_In eighth grade, a new student transferred into Orange Star Elementary School. She was a very pretty girl, with sandy colored hair down to her shoulders and big, emerald green eyes._ _Her name was Aracelle and she was from a city towards the southern most point of the country. A lot of boys in the class immediately wanted to date her. She seemed like a very sweet, innocent, and polite young girl to the teachers. In the halls, however, she was very different._

_She was the queen of gossip and she spent more time on her looks than focusing on school work. The only reason for her average grades was that she would persuade other boys to either help her study or just do her homework for her all together._

"_I wouldn't want to be friends with someone like that," Misa explained to her friends during lunchtime. "She seems very mean…like the kind of person who would let you down when you need her the most."_

_Charisma yawned lazily and rubbed her eyes. Her friend, Nia, turned towards her. "What's wrong, Charisma?"_

"_I didn't get much sleep last night," Charisma explained to her friends. "I had a sleep over at Trunks' place. My parents are out of town. Trunks just annoyed me out of my mind. He kept scaring me the whole night until he finally fell asleep."_

"_Poor guy," her friend April said. "He must've been bored…"_

"_Poor guy!" Charisma repeated._

"_Your parents actually let you stay at his house for the night?" asked Lise with a tint of surprise._

_Charisma shrugged. "Sure…there's nothing wrong with that. You girls already know that I grew up with him. My parents trust him and they trust his parents. There's nothing wrong with that…"_

"_You're so lucky," Nia said giddily. "If I were you, and Trunks were my boyfriend, I'd be so happy about spending the night over at his place!"_

"_I bet you would!" Misa laughed and playfully slapped Nia's arm. "Tell me, what kinds of things would you do?"_

"_We'd make out!" Nia replied in an instant._

_Charisma laughed at that along with her friends but blushed as well. "Trunks and I are not like that at all, girls. How many times do I have to tell you that we're just friends?"_

"_We know that. Nobody was accusing you of anything, now, were they?"_

_Charisma shook her head and stood up to dump her tray into the trash can. Unfortunately, she didn't look to where she was going and ended up walking right into someone, sending both trays of half-eaten food to the floor. The loud noise of trays smacking against the floor caught everyone's attention. Charisma looked up at the other person and apologized. _

_"I'm sorry about that, Aracelle…" The girl just looked at Charisma up and down with a dirty look and left without picking up her tray. Charisma went over to her friends and sat. "She's creepy…" the girl whispered._

_A few days later, Charisma was walking through the halls of school on her own when she noticed Trunks up ahead, also wandering through the halls. On many days, he would ask to use the bathroom during math class and he'd disappear for about fifteen minutes in the halls._

"_Hey," she said to herself. She began approaching him until she saw Aracelle walk out from a corridor and stop in front of Charisma's friend._

"_Trunks, is it?" she asked._

_Trunks looked at the girl and pulled his hands out of his pockets before crossing his arms. "Yeah…that's me…"_

'_That's weird…' Charisma thought. She carefully tiptoed closer and hid behind a locker in order to eavesdrop. 'What does Aracelle want with him?'_

"_Good, I've been looking for you," Aracelle said with a flip of her hair._

"_Why?"_

"_I wanted to let you know that I think you are very cute and good looking," she said with an enticing smile._

_Charisma had to cover her mouth before a loud gasp could escape her lips. 'What's this?'_

_Trunks stared at the girl with perplexed eyes. "…so you like me?"_

"_Yes! Very much! And I want to go out with you, Trunks! Be my boyfriend…?"_

'_Boyfriend?' Charisma smiled faded immediately. Her heart felt like it was coming to a stop in her chest. For some reason, she felt the sudden urge to run over towards the two. She wasn't sure why exactly, though. Why was it such a problem? If Goten ever ended up with a girlfriend, Charisma wouldn't doubt that she'd be right there cheering him on._

_Charisma wanted to be happy for Trunks. He was always so alone at school when she wasn't around. If he got a girlfriend, Trunks might just have become a bit more outspoken. Yet, part of her felt a tinge of disappointment. She just couldn't figure out why._

"_There's no way he'll agree to it, though," Charisma whispered to herself. She didn't realize it at the moment, but it was feeble attempt at consoling the pang of worry that was starting to eat her up inside. She wasn't even sure why she was worried at all. She was confused more than anything else._

_Trunks stared into the girl's eyes. He took a deep breath and smiled at her. "Sure…"_

_Charisma's pupils dilated. 'Am I hearing correctly? Did he actually accept?' Charisma couldn't keep her jaw from falling open numbly. Charisma peered over from behind the locker to see the two walking together towards the other end of the school._

'_What?' she clutched onto her chest. 'Shouldn't I be…happy?'_

…

"I'm going to the bathroom real quick," Misa suddenly said, pulling Charisma from her memories.

"That's fine," responded Charisma, shaking off the feelings that were returning to her from that memory. "I'll wait for you at the gate, okay?"

"All right!" Misa took off towards the restrooms. "Don't leave without me!"

Charisma walked out of the building and took a deep breath. 'It feels good to be back in school,' she thought. Her eyes fell to the ground. '…I just…hope Aracelle has changed…or hopefully she won't remember me. I don't want to have to deal with that again…'

"Hey, Charisma!"

Charisma was pulled away from her thoughts when she heard Mace calling out to her. "Hi!" she greeted Mace with a smile as he came up to the blonde.

"I was just wondering where you live," he told her. "I'd like to walk you home, if that's all right…"

Charisma blushed and scratched the back of her head. "I live pretty far from here, actually. It's about a forty minute drive…"

"I see," Mace responded with his eyes falling to the ground. He lifted his eyes back up to her. "I can drive you there, if you'd like…"

Charisma smiled at him warmly but shook her head apologetically. "I'm sorry…but I already promised my friends that I'd go with them…"

Mace was about to speak up when the pair suddenly felt two arms pull them close together. Misa had seen them and ran over towards them like a bolt of lightening.

"Hello, you two!" she energetically exclaimed, jumping in front of them to shake Mace's hand. "My name is Misa! I see you've met my bestest friend in the world, Charisma!" Misa hopped over beside Charisma and wrapped an around her shoulder, pulling her closer for a tight hug. "We've been besties since second grade! Charisma's amazing! She's friendly, sweet, kind, a great up-and-coming pastry chef…her cookies are the best…"

"MISA!" Charisma grabbed her friend by hand. "It's very sweet of you to try and…'sell' me like this, but be quiet already!"

Misa gave a silly laugh. "I get it!" Misa zipped her lips shut and silently followed along with the pair as they made their way towards the school's gates.

"ARE YOU COMING OR DO I HAVE TO COME GET YOU?"

The girls gasped and noticed Goten standing on top of a seven foot tall stone wall right beside the gates.

"What the hell is he doing up there?" Charisma growled with tight fists.

"He's probably trying to draw attention from girls," Misa said with a sigh. She ran over to the wall and looked up at Goten. "You better get down before Charisma calls your mom!"

Goten gasped as his eyes filled with fear. He immediately hopped off to a safe landing. He definitely drew a ton of stares, both from males and females alike. Charisma sighed with exasperation and turned towards Mace. She noticed the shocked look on his face.

"How…did he get up there?" Mace sputtered.

"Goten's very athletic…let's put it that way," Charisma giggled and ran off towards her friends. She looked back at Mace with a smile and waved. "See ya!"

The four friends walked off towards the other end of the street. Goten smirked and tapped Charisma on the shoulder. "So, who's the guy?" he winked.

"He's crazy about Charisma!" Misa explained with brimming excitement. "He was all over her. He wants to walk her home and he misses her whenever she's gone!" Misa folded her hands together and brought them to her chin with a dreamy expression on her face. "It's so romantic! You should definitely give him a shot, Strawberry!"

"Oh, be quiet," Charisma said with a blush. "It's nothing like that. He's just being friendly…"

"That's what you said this morning when he smiled at you! And I was right about him wanting to walk home with you. I know what I'm saying!"

The trio became silent when they noticed Trunks grunt and hurriedly walk off a couple of feet in front of them. The others exchanged glances, wondering what was wrong.

"Trunks!" Charisma called out to him. It took a short moment before he stopped. The others stopped in their places as well.

He slowly turned around. "We should hurry home already."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Misa began saying as the three caught up to Trunks. "My mom's gonna kill me if I don't get home by five."

"I need to hurry, too," agreed Goten. "My mom's probably gonna do the same if I don't show up home."

"They won't mind if we're at Capsule Corp," Charisma explained. "Anyway, how did your days go, guys?"

"It was great!" Goten said with an excited tone. "There are so many pretty girls in my class! I can't believe it! I've hit a jackpot or something!"

Misa and Charisma both rolled their eyes. "Isn't it great that Lise is at school?" Misa changed the subject, turning to Charisma.

"I know! I'm so happy…but she's not in any of my classes…"

"She's in one of my classes. She's got gym class with us, too. We'll have gym tomorrow, most likely."

Charisma looked toward Trunks, who was walking right in front of them. She frowned, sensing that something was bothering him. She walked up to him and smiled.

"Hey! You're so quiet today," she said, looking up at him. "What's wrong?"

Trunks remained silent for a moment before looking down at her. "I'm just a little exhausted. You know I'm not a fan of school."

"I know that," Charisma replied with a roll of her eyes. "School isn't so bad. You've got us, remember? And now that Goten is here, you'll have a ton of fun!"

Once in a secluded area of the neighborhood, Misa jumped on Goten's back. "We'll see you at Capsule Corp, guys!" Misa called down to the pair before she disappeared into the sky with Goten.

"Why does it seem those two do anything to be alone?" Charisma sighed and crossed her arms. "I'm really starting to think there's something going on between those two." Charisma smiled and clapped her hands. "I'm gonna bug Misa about it until she gives me the answers… You should ask Goten, too, if you wanna know."

"It's not really any of my business…"

"That's no fun!" Charisma protested with a pout. She grabbed Trunks by the hand, causing him to turn red. Charisma didn't seem to care much about that gesture, however. She smiled up at him. "Let's go after them! We're not just going to walk the remaining thirty miles home, now are we?"

Trunks gently pried his hand away from hers. "Fine, let's go." The two flew off together and arrived at Capsule Corp within ten minutes. Trunks opened the front door to the house and set his backpack on a nearby table.

"I'm home, Mom," he called as he and Charisma made their way to the first floor living room. On their way through the halls, they noticed Vegeta heading in their direction. "Hey, Dad," Trunks greeted him.

"Hi, Vegeta!" Charisma also said. Vegeta looked towards the both of them and silent went off into another part of the house. They arrived in the living room to find Misa and Goten sitting on the floor, watching TV.

"You two!" Charisma ran over to them and took a seat beside Misa. "Good to see you here! You guys were fast."

"I wasn't fast," Goten said smugly. "You're just slow flyers."

"Are not!" retorted Charisma and stuck her tongue out. "You hear that, Trunks? Goten says you're slow. In these parts, those are fighting words!"

Trunks simply grabbed a couch cushion and threw it toward Goten's face. Misa squealed and stood up immediately, completely excited by the aspect of a pillow fight.

"Hooray!" she sung, grabbing the cushion beneath her and flinging it towards Charisma.

Charisma jumped out of the way and the pillow hit a picture frame on the coffee table nearby and knocked it over. The four friends immediately become quiet. They heard footsteps in the hall nearby and immediately sat down innocently in front the TV, pretending that nothing had happened. Bulma emerged from the doorway with her three year-old daughter, Bra.

"Big sister! Big brother!" The toddler happily ran over to give Charisma and Trunks a big hug.

"Aren't you going to say hi to me, Bra?" Misa asked with a playfully sad tone.

"Yes!" Bra said and gave Misa hug before running over to sit beside Goten. "Hi, Goten!"

"I heard noise," Bulma announced with a pursed lips and looked around. "What did you guys break this time?"

"Nothing!" they all replied together. Luckily, Trunks pushed the busted picture frame under the couch.

Bulma sighed and approached the teenagers. "So, how was your first day of school, kids?"

"Great!" the teens replied in unison.

"That's good to hear…"

Misa took a peek at her wrist watch and squealed. "EEEK! It's almost six! I better hurry home before Mom calls the cops again!"

"I'd better head off, too," Goten said as he stood up and stretched. He grabbed his things and moved closer to Misa. "Why don't I walk you home?"

Misa smiled warmly at him and nodded. "Of course! I'd love that!" She turned towards Charisma and Trunks. "I'll see you guys at school tomorrow." Goten waved at the two friends and headed off.

"Bye, Bulma! See ya, Bra!" they finally said as the walked out the front door.

Charisma remained at Trunks' house for a few more hours. She ate dinner with his family, as she did many times over the years. She played with Bra until it was the toddler's bedtime. Finally, she spent the rest of her time with Trunks in the living, watching TV.

Charisma took a deep breath and looked over at Trunks. She didn't know whether to bring up this matter, but she figured it wouldn't do much harm. It was years ago, anyway. He must've recovered from it by now.

"You'll never guess who's in my class," Charisma suddenly said.

Trunks looked over at her with a curious glance in his eyes. "Who?"

"…Aracelle…"

Trunks' eyes widened and he sat up in his place. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah…she's in my class… And I think she's going to be in P.E. with us, too. Just…don't act shocked when you see her."

Trunks shook his head and grinned as his blue eyes darted to the television. "Don't be ridiculous, Charisma. I've been over her for the last four years. She won't have any affect on me." He returned his gaze to Charisma. "Why would you bring that up?"

Charisma shrugged and ran a hand through her blond hair. "…I just thought I should let you know… I don't want to see you stammering out of gym class in shock or looking forlorn in the halls if you see her."

Trunks scoffed and crossed his arms. "You've gotta be kidding me…I wouldn't do that."

Charisma smiled at him knowingly and stood up off the couch. "I'd better get to going, now. I'll see you tomorrow…" She was about to walk out the door when she heard Trunks call to her. Charisma turned to look at him.

"If that Mace guy shows up at your bedroom window tonight, call the cops!"

Charisma's face contorted into a perplexed expression before she broke out with laughter. "Good one, Trunks! Here's another good one: Shut up!" She rolled her eyes and walked out of the house.

Trunks couldn't help but smile at her before taking a seat back on the couch, seeing as she wouldn't understand how serious he was about that joke.

* * *

_If I have anymore typos or mistakes, please let me know. I reread a couple of times but I tend to overlook a few things. Shame on me! By the way, whenever I think of that Mace character, I always picture Mike He in Devil Beside You. IDK why...lol Anyway, please review! :)_


	12. Romances

_Author's Note: _I think I'm on a roll! My writer's block has suddenly disappeared. Yay! Well, I've included another flashback in this chapter and an interesting (?) gym scene. I guess it's a bit of a filler chapter. But it'll get much better next chapter. :)

Chapter 12:

Romances

About a month had passed since school started and the four teens were already settled into the rhythm of school once again. Up to this point, Charisma had thankfully had little contact with Aracelle. In addition, Mace was beginning to shower her with more attention and with gifts every now and then. Charisma would walk into class with Trunks to find any type of flower on her desk. Charisma would blush uncontrollably, as Trunks' eyes darted to the back of the class to see Mace standing by the doorway to make sure that Charisma was the girl to take the flower.

On a late September day, just as Charisma was walking through the halls to her locker with her friends before physical education, she accidently bumped shoulders with another person. The other person dropped their books and sent their papers flying about the corridor. Charisma stopped suddenly and picked up the books and papers.

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention," she apologized. She looked up to return the things before she noticed who she had run into again.

"Charisma…I believe that's your name, isn't it?" the girl said indifferently. Her tone was still the same after all these years.

"Yes…" Charisma replied jadedly. "And you're Aracelle…"

"I'm so flattered that you remember me," Aracelle replied portentously with a toss of her long red hair. "I see you're still as clumsy as ever. You should really get some help with that."

Charisma rolled her eyes and turned away. "See ya…"

Aracelle turned to watch Charisma walk away and noticed her four friends behind her. She immediately recognized Trunks. He had definitely grown up since the last time they met. Trunks avoided any gaze with her as if completely pretending that she were just part of the paneling.

"Are you still with Trunks, Charisma?" she asked out of the blue and loudly.

Charisma stopped walking and turned around to face the girl. A blush could be seen on Charisma's cheeks but she shook her head. "I've already told you. We're just friends and we've always been just that."

"Sure," Aracelle said with a knowing grin. She walked over to Trunks with swaying hips and placed a hand on his shoulder. She leaned over to his ear. "See ya around, my love…" she whispered seductively.

Charisma's face immediately contorted until she angrily pouted and glared at the girl. Trunks was unaffected by Aracelle's actions. He had truly forgotten about her a long time ago. She hadn't changed at all since those days. That was one conclusion Charisma, Misa, and Trunks all came to.

"What a witch," Misa grumbled as she came to Charisma's side.

"She's hot," Goten murmured as he approached Trunks. "Lucky!"

Misa and Charisma both threw him fiery hot glares. Goten noticed them instantly, swearing that he could feel them burning a hole through the back of his uniform. He nervously chuckled as he turned towards them with defensive hands waving in front of his face. "Sorry about that, ladies!"

"Let's just get to gym class before coach makes us do a hundred push ups again," Trunks randomly said before heading off towards the gym.

"It's not like we're so out of shape that we can't do them," laughed Goten as he hurried to catch up to his friend.

Misa scoffed and shook her head and followed along as well. "That's easy for you to say! I can't even do one!"

Charisma stared after Trunks with kindly eyes. She sighed and looked out the window beside her towards the city.

…

_The sky was dyed an orangey pink. Charisma and Trunks silently walked together toward their houses. Charisma's eyes remained glued to the ground and Trunks immediately felt an uneasiness coming from Charisma. _

_This was very unusual. Charisma was usually loud and cheerful. Her aura was always one of brightness and exuberance. It was strange that she was so quiet, and even Trunks, instilled with almost as much pride as his father, admitted to himself that he didn't like seeing her like this at all._

"_What's with you?" Trunks suddenly blurted, sounding more annoyed than concerned. Charisma looked up at him with cheerless eyes. _

"_Nothing…What are you talking about?"_

"_You're abnormally quiet today," he replied as he crossed his arms. "As much as I thought I would appreciate it, your silence creeps me out somehow. I think the world might be ending…yet again…"_

"_Don't be silly," Charisma giggled and looked up at the sky. Her feet pattered against the ground softly as she grasped a question in her mouth. "…Trunks?"_

"_What?" he responded without looking at her._

_Charisma didn't know how to ask, but she was sure Trunks would not welcome the subject much. "…Are you…really gonna date her?"_

_Trunks froze in his place with a low gasp. Charisma noticed and stopped to look back at him as he eyed her perplexedly. "What are you talking about?"_

"…_I kind of…heard Aracelle ask you out today," answered Charisma, fearing his reaction._

_Trunks grew silent for a few seconds before a blush set on his cheek, difficult to see with the orange lighting of the sunset. "You're such a nosy person, Charisma!" he heatedly scolded. "Why would you eavesdrop like that? This has nothing to do with you, so stay out of it!"_

_Charisma's eyes dropped to the concrete and filled with more gloom. "I'm sorry about that, Trunks… I really didn't mean to be nosy. It was an accident that I walked nearby, but I was curious and so I listened. Besides…" Charisma slowly lifted her eyes to him. "…I'm supposed to be your friend, aren't I? I thought you would tell me about something like this…but it's up to you whether you trust me enough for that…"_

_Charisma immediately turned back around without another word and hesitated for a second before walking off again. Trunks felt a tinge of guilt and pity settle within his stomach, but he brushed off that feeling and continued walking behind Charisma._

_She remained silent and Trunks cleared his throat loudly. Charisma stopped for a second, enough time for Trunks to appear beside her. "Wait up, will you? What's the rush?"_

_They both walked quietly down the road home. Charisma finally spoke up after a few minutes, shattering the silence with her soft voice. _

"…_Were you serious?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"…_about dating her?"_

"_Why wouldn't I be? I don't see what the problem is." Trunks looked over to her and smirked. "Why do you ask? Do you have a problem with that?"_

_Charisma looked up at him for a second before giving him her usually smile. Her eyes lowered back to the ground and she shook her head._

…

"Strawberry! …Hello? Strawberry shortcake!" Misa waved her hands and jumped around in front of Charisma's eyes wildly for a full five minutes before Charisma finally woke up from her trance.

"Misa! What's up?" Charisma said casually.

"What's up? We're gonna be late!" Misa sputtered as she latched onto Charisma's arm and began dragging her away. "Trunks and Goten are already at the gym! You've been standing here like a statue and class starts in a minute!"

"Oh…" Charisma muttered absentmindedly.

"Yeah! We were almost to the gym when I realized that you weren't behind us! I thought for a second that you ran off to knock Aracelle's lights out or something!"

Charisma laughed as she lazily tried to keep up with Misa. "I would never do such a thing!"

The girls arrived just in time at the gymnasium before the bell rung. They hurriedly power walked over to where Trunks and Goten sat on the stands.

"What took so long?" Goten asked in a whisper as he leaned toward the girls.

"Charisma dozed off a bit," Misa explained.

"She fell asleep?"

"Yeah! With her eyes open and everything!" The pair snickered to themselves.

Charisma glared at both of them and turned towards Trunks. She patted his shoulder in the same place where Aracelle had. "How do you feel?"

Trunks looked at her and nodded. "I'm fine. I told you already that I don't care about her anymore. What happened between us is in the past and I don't want to relive it."

Charisma gave him a friendly grin. "That's great!" She noticed the confused look on Trunks' face. "…I mean it's great that you're so strong. I'm really happy about that. I'm happy for you."

Trunks nodded and gave her a pat on the head. "Thanks, Strawberry…" Charisma giggled innocently. She couldn't quite understand why, but her nickname in his voice made her stomach feel all tingly.

"ALL RIGHT STUDENTS! HIT THE LOCKER ROOMS!" The coach's loud and burly voice, as loud as a clap of thunder, erupted through the gym before anyone could actually see him. He walked through the door and stood there with his arms crossed and waiting for the students to comply.

Eventually, the students stood in a line in front of a vertical pole that was about eight feet tall and atop the pole hung a bell. The students couldn't believe they actually had to do something as cliché as this in gym class. Coach must be a fan of sitcoms.

"The concept is simple, yes?" the coach said as he wrapped up a short explanation on what to do. The students simultaneously moaned out a half-hearted 'yes.'

"Good! Now let's begin!" Coach blew on his whistle, sending droplets of saliva all over the sorry student in the front of the line. One by one, most students failed at ringing the bell. Only the most physically fit amongst them stood a chance at getting a good grade in this exercise.

As the four friends neared the pole, Misa was beginning to feel chunks that tasted like today's breakfast and lunch rising in her throat. She was the first of the group that would go. Nervously, she turned to her friends.

"Get ready to watch me fail, you guys," she groaned in a low voice.

"Just do your best, Misa," Charisma said sympathetically. "You'll be fine."

Goten sighed and crossed his arms with a quizzical look on his face. "I wonder why we can't just fly up there and ring the bell. We'd get an A for sure on this. What do you think guys?"

"That would be cheating, Goten," Misa protested. "You see, normal people like me and…let's say the other 500 students in this school…aren't superhuman like you three."

"We don't need to fly anyway, Goten," explained Trunks. "Don't tell me you've really gotten that badly out of shape…"

"Of course not!" Goten retorted as he turned around to disputed the case.

"NEXT!" yelled the coach before he blew the whistle like a mad man, spewing saliva on poor Misa.

Misa couldn't do anything other than squeal in disgust. After taking a few seconds to compose herself, she approached the pole. She lifted her head to stare at its entirety. 'Here I go,' she thought. She jumped up on the pole and barely moved an inch before she lifted her eyes again to look at the pole. The pole seemed to stretch on endlessly into the ceiling, where it would eventually meet up with outer space.

Misa just smiled and hopped off the pole. She looked to the coach. "I can't do it!" Without another word, she walked off to take a seat in the stands. Charisma just stared after her.

"You call that 'trying your best!'" she whispered only loud enough for Goten, Trunks, and herself to hear.

"NEXT!" bellowed the coach. Goten was already at the pole before the coach could blow his whistle and bathe him in fresh, warm spit.

Goten jumped on the pole and climbed up to the top with ease. After ringing the bell, he used his moment of great height to salute all the girls in the gym.

Misa noticed this and stood up in the stands. "GET DOWN FROM THERE, GOTEN! I'M WATCHING YOU!"

Goten chuckled nervously at Misa and winked at her in an attempt to cool off the hot water. Without thinking, he jumped right off the top of the extremely tall pole. The gym was filled with squeals and gasps as everyone witnessed him fall and land perfectly on his feet. Charisma stared with an open mouth and slapped her forehead. Goten was always drawing attention to himself with those herculean feats of his, which was strictly against Chi-Chi's rules in allowing him to attend public school.

The coach sputtered breathlessly, "N-next…"

Charisma walked up to the pole. She looked around and saw Mace a few students behind Trunks giving her thumbs up. She smiled at him and noticed Aracelle sitting on the stands, her eyes gleaming with hope that Charisma would fall and get embarrassed. Charisma read that message loud and clear and smirked. She easily maneuvers her way up the pole and rang the bell, surprising all of the students, except for her friends, of course.

The coach, needless to say, was impressed. Charisma was one of the few females that were able to actually complete the task. "You should think about becoming an athlete, kiddo!" he praised her.

Charisma blushed. "I'm not much of an athlete!" she chuckled and ran over to the stands and took a seat beside Misa and Goten. Her eyes momentarily shifted over to Aracelle. The girl was throwing darts at Charisma with her eyes, but Charisma just smiled at her and returned her attention to Trunks, who was up next.

Many female eyes followed, swooning as they watched Trunks easily climb up the pole and ring the bell. Naturally, it wasn't anything major for two half-Saiyans. The only reason Charisma had no problem was because she had been raised with those two. Trunks gracefully came down the pole and joined his friends.

"That was the easiest thing I've ever done," he said once he sat down.

"It was fun," replied Misa, drawing stares from her friends.

"What are you talking about?" Charisma responded with her hands on her hips. "You were barely an inch of the ground when you gave up!"

"My arms felt so heavy," she explained defensively. "I wasn't going to make it. I would rather _not_ fall off the top of that thing and break my neck, thank you very much."

Charisma watched as Mace successfully rang the bell. To be honest, she was a bit surprised. He came off the pole and turned to look at her with a smile. She blushed and turned to Misa, who was beaming with excitement.

"He's so in to you!" she hooted. Goten stared at them and returned his gaze to the dark haired boy.

"Girls…" he chuckled to himself.

"You shouldn't be talking," Misa retorted grossly. "I saw you up there waving at all those girls!"

Charisma gasped and shook Misa. "What? Are you two dating or something?"

"I'll explain everything to you later," Misa replied and took a deep breath. Charisma nodded at her with a knowing look and returned her attention to the gym floor.

Trunks removed his fiery gaze from Mace and shifted his eyes to Charisma. She had her chin in her hands with her elbows on her knees as she stared dreamily at Mace while he made his way towards the locker room. Trunks grunted and crossed his arms. Unfortunately for him, it was loud enough for Charisma to hear. She looked up at him perplexedly.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing…" Trunks replied without looking at her. Charisma narrowed her eyes but continued looking forward. He seemed a bit more agitated than usual.

…

"So are you coming with us today?" Misa asked Charisma as they stood at their lockers, gathering their things after class.

"Yeah, I think so," replied Charisma as she changed from her loafers to sneakers. She shut her locker to find Mace approaching her. He smiled as he stopped in front of her.

"Hey, Charisma," he greeted smoothly. "Hey, Misa."

"Hi, Mace," the girls responded dreamily with large eyelashes fluttering.

"Would you like to go out to the movies tomorrow, Charisma?" he asked, leaning against the blue metallic lockers. Charisma gasped and smiled him with a blush. Misa just grinned like a crazy woman in a desperate attempt to keep herself from clapping.

"All right, it sounds fun," replied Charisma with her cheeks still red. "Call me later and I'll give you the directions to my house so you can pick me up…"

"I will do," he smoothly responded, flipping his hair as he walked off. He seemed to almost glide his way through the halls like a dreamy angel. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye…" both girl swooned and waved towards him.

"What a cutie!" Misa sighed with a hand to her heart. "You're such a lucky girl, Charisma!"

Charisma giggled and brought her hands to her red cheeks. "My first date with him…Misa, can you believe it?"

"It's wonderful, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I feel special…it sounds really stupid, but I do…"

Misa chuckled and put an arm around her friend's shoulder as they made their way outside to the front gate where Trunks and Goten were waiting. "It's a little thing I like to call 'love,' girl!"

_Next chapter, Charisma has a hot date with her new admirer! Let's wait and see how Trunks reacts. ;) Please review!_


	13. Opposition

_Author's Note: _I'm so glad you guys like this fic! My mind is just overflowing with ideas. I hope you like it!

Chapter 13:

Opposition

"I haven't seen Charisma around all day," Trunks told Misa when she came to his house on that Saturday morning to help babysit Bra.

"Oh, yeah, she didn't tell you, did she?" said Misa causally as she sat in the living room watching TV with him and Bra.

"Tell me what?" Trunks' eyebrows furrowed and his ice blue eyes pried into Misa.

"I don't know if she wants me to tell you this…" she slowly began, before blurting out everything else. "But she has a hot date today! Isn't that wonderful?"

Trunks was taking a sip of iced tea and nearly choked on it. "What? Charisma's dating?"

Misa eyed him with strangely. "Yeah…what's the problem?"

Trunks scoffed and shook his head. "Most guys she's been with have turned out to be jerks," he explained. Misa couldn't help but laugh at his bluntness. "I promised her father I'd keep an eye on her…Don't tell her this, all right?"

Misa giggled to herself. "I see…okay…"

"…She went out with that Mace guy, am I right?"

Misa simply nodded her head.

"Is Big Sister going to get married?" Bra asked an excited tone.

Misa giggled and shook her head. "Maybe some time in the future, Bra. You never know!"

Trunks crossed his arms and shook his head. "I don't trust that guy…"

"You've never trusted any of the guys Charisma's been interested in," Misa said in a 'matter-of-factly' tone. "Really, Trunks, why is that?"

"I don't know…maybe she has a knack for attracting the wrong kind of men. I guess it's because those types of guys enjoy the more naive looking girls. They might think that they're easier, if you know what I mean."

Misa looked at him with an open mouth. "Charisma is NOT like that!"

"I know she's not that kind of girl," he said calmly. "But guys might get the impression that she's so naïve that she might do anything they want. I'm not worried about her because I know she can defend herself…but…"

There was a moment of silence.

"…But what?"

Trunks sighed and crossed his arms, placing his empty glass cup on a nearby table. He stood up off the couch and walked off. "Forget it…" Misa stared after him with a surprised look on her face but shook her head and focused on watching Bra.

…

Charisma fretfully played with the ends of her frilly blue skirt as she sat in the passenger seat of Mace's beautiful red car. Her blond hair was held up in a ponytail and the strands would fly around her face as the wind blew in from the open window.

Mace looked over at her and smiled. "Why are you so nervous? We're going to have fun. You don't have to worry about anything."

Charisma laughed nervously and looked up at him. "It's been a while since my last date…"

"I see…but you don't have to worry about anything around me. I think you're a wonderful girl." Charisma's eyes softened at him. "You're different from all the other girls at school. I really like that about you."

Charisma looked out the window in an attempt to hide her blushing cheeks. "Thank you…" Mace really had a way of making Charisma feel special. He chuckled and hesitantly grabbed her hand and held it. Her face was just about burning now and she turned her head to look at him. He smiled at her and she smiled back, accepting his gesture.

"What do you want to do first?" he asked.

"Why don't…we go see a movie? Then we can go out to eat…" she suggested quietly.

Mace smirked at her. "Sounds good to me." Charisma turned to him completely and nodded her head.

After a few more minutes of driving through the city, Mace parked his car in front of large movie theater in one of the busiest shopping districts. Mace exited his car and quickly ran to open the door for Charisma.

'What a gentlemen…' Charisma thought as Mace took her by the hand and helped her out of the car. The autumn sun glistened off his raven black hair and reflected off his deep brown eyes. Charisma blushed as she stared at him intently just realizing how handsome he really was. Mace chuckled when he noticed the mesmerized look on her face.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked with a handsome smile.

Charisma shook her head and smiled back. She laced her arm around his as they began heading into the movies. She grinned up at him. "There isn't anything wrong. I'm just really happy to be here."

Mace's smile widened and he gently held on to Charisma's hand. "I am, too. We're going to have a good time. I promise."

…

"I'm home everyone!" Bulma's voice rang through the halls of the Capsule Corp house. She walked to the large living room of the house and found Misa sitting there with Goten on the couch.

"Oh, hey there, Goten," she greeted him warmly. "It's nice of you to visit." He waved back at her with a smile. Bulma turned toward Misa. "Thanks so much for babysitting, Misa. Where's my little girl?"

"I fed her lunch and she began to get sleepy," replied Misa. "I put her to bed and she's been asleep for about a half hour now."

"She does that a lot," Bulma chuckled and scratched the back of her head. "And where's Trunks?" Misa and Goten looked at each other and shrugged.

"I haven't seen him in a few hours," Misa responded.

"He's probably in his room," suggested Goten. "It's so strange that he'd he cooped up in there."

"Yeah, that is strange," Bulma agreed and headed off to find him.

"Come to think of it, he seemed in a bad mood all of a sudden," Misa told Goten.

"Why is that?"

"I really don't know. I mentioned that Charisma had a date today and he wandered off. I haven't seen him since."

Goten's eyebrows furrowed as he came to a conclusion. "You…don't think he's upset about that, do you?"

"That might just be it. He wasn't happy about Charisma going out with Mace. As usual, he doesn't approve of her date."

"I don't know why he always gets this way," Goten said as he crossed his arms.

"I have a hunch…" Misa chuckled as she turned towards the television.

Goten gazed at her with curious eyes. "…What hunch?"

Misa just looked at him and smiled. "Nothing important," she beamed. Goten remained with eyes glued to her for a few seconds before realizing what she meant.

"No way," he laughed and turned his attention towards the TV as well. "…Can you imagine that?"

…

Trunks sat in his bedroom watching television with an unhappy expression on his face. He stood up off his bed with a grunt and walked over to the window. He looked out to see Charisma's house across the wide street. In his mind, he could remember those days when they were children.

At times when he would walk over, he'd see Charisma peering out towards his window with a dreamy look in her eyes. He would notice her and she'd smile at him and wave her arms around to make sure she had his attention. Trunks would sigh and wave back before disappearing into his room.

It had been years since Charisma had done that. Still, Trunks would find himself looking out that same window towards Charisma's house even now. Deep inside, he subconsciously knew what he was looking for, but his conscious self would not want to admit it. Trunks was nearly startled when he heard a knock on his door.

"Honey? Can I come in?"

"Mom…" Trunks whispered before calling out to her. "It's open!"

Bulma gently pushed the door open and smiled when she saw her son. "Hey there! How's it going?"

"I'm fine, why do you ask?" Trunks chuckled and went to take a seat on his bed.

"Why are you here all by yourself?" she asked as she approached him. "Is there something bothering you?"

Trunks shook his head and looked at her. "No. what would be bothering me?"

"…Maybe the fact that Charisma is dating again?" Bulma inquired. She noticed how Trunks squirmed at her question. He turned his head away from her. Bulma chuckled and took a seat beside him on the bed. "You always get this way whenever she finds someone…could it be that…-?"

Trunks laughed out loud and stared at her in disbelief. "Please, Mom, it's nothing like that. I guess…I'm a little protective of her…that's all…And I made a deal with her father that I'd watch over her. I always keep my word."

"Oh, I see. It makes sense." Bulma smiled at him and nodded. "Of course, Trunks…" She lovingly patted his head. "Keep protecting her." Bulma understood Trunks more than he understood himself. It wouldn't matter what excuse Trunks used. Bulma's intuition told her it was much deeper than just that. She smiled at him as she made her way to the door. "Don't feel too bad, Trunks. You know she's a strong girl."

"Yeah," he replied as Bulma left. He sighed and fell back on his bed.

…

"That was the worst movie I ever saw," Charisma laughed as she sat at a café with Mace.

"Same here," Mace agreed as he chuckled with her. "But I still had fun. I hope you did, too."

"Of course I did," she replied with a bright smile. "It was a bad movie but it gave us a chance to talk more."

"Then the money I paid for that horrible movie was well worth it," Mace sweetly said with kind eyes. He leaned closer towards her. "You're an interesting person, Charisma. I want to be able to take you out again."

Charisma smiled at him and nodded her head. "I would love that. You're great to hang out with. And you're such a good guy. I haven't met many guys like you."

Mace chuckled and returned the affection with a grin. "Thank you. I believe in treating others with the utmost respect, particularly women. When I'm with you, I can't help but like you and want to make you smile."

Charisma giggled happily and smiled up at him. 'He's perfect!' she thought.

After a few more minutes, Mace and Charisma were headed back towards his car. They walked together much closer, with their arms around each other. Charisma felt her shyness disappearing as time went on. As expected Mace was complete gentlemen as he opened the car door for Charisma. The drive back home seemed much shorter than the drive to the theater. Of course, at this point, Charisma found herself wishing for this day to not end yet.

Surely enough, Mace pulled up in front of Charisma's house at about five in the afternoon. She turned to him and smiled.

"I'll call you later, okay?" she said. "I had a great time. I hope we can go out again some time."

"I would love that," Mace replied.

Charisma stared at him for a moment, contemplating what to do next. She wanted to give him a friendly kiss on the cheek, but thought it might be moving too fast. Instead, she just waved and said 'goodbye' before getting out of the car. She watched as he drove away with a final smile.

She watched as he disappeared into the city and sighed. Charisma walked up the short cement path to her house. She sensed a familiar power level and looked up to see Trunks sitting on her roof with his arms crossed.

Charisma eyed him strangely but instantly waved up at him with a smile. "Hi, Trunks! What's up?"

He grumbled to himself and levitated down from his place a top Charisma's house. He landed in front of Charisma and looked at her in the eyes. She stared at him, feeling extremely confused. There was a feeling she could sense wafting from his being.

"What's wrong?" she said after a few seconds. "You look like you're ready to beat me up…" She giggled and walked past him. "Fine, don't say 'hi' to me if you don't want to, meanie!"

"Charisma…"

Charisma stopped in her place and turned around to look at him. "What's the matter?"

Trunks turned to face her as well. "…How was he?"

Charisma stared at him for a few seconds before laughing. "On his best behavior!" She folded her hands together innocently before her eyes narrowed playfully. "Misa told you about my date, didn't she? I'll have to remember to blast her for that."

Trunks couldn't help but smile at her. He was a bit annoyed because she hadn't mentioned anything to him. Then again, he had to remind himself that he didn't have any right to know everything that went on in her life. He brushed that irritation aside, because he knew it would bring those other possible emotions to the surface. The ones that always left him doubting and confused. He preferred not to feel that way.

Charisma was about to speak up before her cell phone suddenly rang. "Hello?" she answered. "…Misa! …Sure, come over! Stay at my house tonight! I have so much to tell you! ...I'll see you in 10!" Charisma shut her phone and waved at Trunks. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

Trunks waved as Charisma ran off into her house. She was immediately greeted by her mom, who excitedly begged for details. Her father was not as enthusiastic, demanding to know how Mace behaved. Charisma chuckled at the question, remembering that Trunks asked the same thing.

Trunks, in the meantime, headed off to his house. He silently entered the house and went off to his room. He walked over to that one window and Charisma pass by the window at her house. She turned her head and noticed him. She immediately smiled and waved both hands.

Trunks chuckled at that and waved back. A feeling of happiness washed over him and, for once, he didn't try and hide it from himself.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Please review! Chapter 14 is coming soon. :)_


	14. Memories and Feelings

_Author's Note:_ Here's the next chapter. I'm glad you guys like the fic. Enjoy!

Chapter 14:

Memories and Feelings

Charisma walked into school on Monday morning with her friends. Misa kept bringing up Mace and asking Charisma when they would officially be a couple.

"It's too soon for that, don't you think?" she told Misa. "We're still getting to know each other. After a few more dates, we'll see…"

"You two look so cute together," Misa beamed with a giggle. "I'm going to vote for you as 'Cutest Class Couple' in the yearbook!"

Trunks remained with his eyes glued to the ground. He barely said anything all morning, even silent with Goten. Goten didn't notice much. He was more interested in listening to the girls' happy banter. Finally, he turned to Trunks.

"Cheer up, will ya?" Goten suddenly said. "You look like the sky is falling."

Trunks grumbled and looked up. He took his hands out of his trousers' pockets to cross his arms. Goten sighed and shook his head before returning his attention to the girls. The quartet continued their way down the hall when Charisma noticed Mace up ahead. She couldn't stop the wide smile that came to her face.

"I'll see you guys later!" she waved to her friends as she jogged over to where Mace stood at his locker. Halfway there, Aracelle seemingly came out of nowhere and appeared at Mace's side. Charisma stopped in her place and watched as Aracelle flirtatiously flipped her hair.

"This uniform looks so good on you," she said almost seductively. Mace looked up at her as she ran her hand up and down his left arm.

"Thanks," he replied with a smile.

Aracelle winked at him. "I'll see you around." She turned and walked off. She noticed Charisma and smiled with an insincere friendly grin. Charisma glared at the redhead as she walked past, almost bumping shoulders. Misa growled as she watched Aracelle make her way down the hall. She hurried over to her best friend.

"What a meddling witch," Misa grumbled as she joined Charisma. "Don't worry about her. Mace is crazy about you."

Charisma's eyes remained on Mace, who hadn't noticed that she had been standing there at all. Her eyes slowly fell to the ground.

'It's just like before,' Charisma thought. 'Aracelle is targeting Mace because she knows I like him. She just wants me to suffer…I know it.' Charisma fists tightened at her side and she took a deep breath. 'I won't let that happen. I refuse to let her win again!'

Misa was surprised when Charisma suddenly walked up to Mace and laced her arm around his. He gasped and looked down to see her smiling up at him. Mace chuckled and shut his locker.

"Hey, Charisma, it's nice to see you."

"Yeah, it's nice to see you, too," she replied warmly. "Let's go to class together, okay?"

Mace nodded and walked off arm in arm with her. "That would be great."

Misa stared after them and chuckled to herself about this situation. "Oh Charisma," she cheered out loud. "Go and mark your territory, girl!"

Trunks and Goten were watching with wide eyes this whole time. Goten sighed and began heading towards Misa.

"What was that about?" he asked once he came up to Misa's side.

"Charisma is just taking a stand for what she believes in," Misa replied with a smile. "She's fighting for what she wants."

"…I see…girls get more affectionate when there's some sort of rivalry or completion involved. I knew it, and this proves it. Even the sweetest girls can become hot blooded warriors of love!" Goten crossed his arms and grinned. "That's interesting to know!"

Misa's smile disappeared and she turned to him with a death glare. "Competition won't make me more affectionate with you, Goten. You can count on that!" Misa huffed and went on her way down the hall.

Goten scratched the back of his head with a quizzical look on his face. "What did I say?" he asked himself. He shrugged it off and turned around to notice that Trunks wasn't there anymore. "…Trunks? …Where'd he go? Looks like everyone's on their own for now."

The ringing bell suddenly resonated through the halls. Goten gasped and screamed in a panic. "I'm going to be late!" He dashed through the halls light a bolt of lightening. A few other students were walking in the halls when a sudden gust of air that felt like a hurricane passed by and knocked many of them down, sending their books and papers flying.

…

Charisma and Mace took a seat beside each other as usual and faced forward to wait for the teacher to show up. Trunks entered the classroom with his fists in his pockets and made his way to the seat beside Charisma. At this moment, he really didn't feel like being close to her, and even less of a desire of being near Mace.

"What's up with Aracelle?" Charisma innocently brought up the subject. She had to bite her tongue in order to keep herself from spewing out the name hatefully.

Mace looked at her with a surprised expression. "Aracelle? …Oh, that girl…She's quite an attention seeker, I can tell you that much."

Charisma brightened up at his words. Attention seeker wasn't a nice way to describe someone, last time she'd checked.

"I don't mean to sound rude or like I'm gossiping or anything!" he suddenly added with a chuckle.

Charisma shook her head enthusiastically. "Not at all…" She turned back to the front.

"…I'm not interested in her, Charisma," Mace reassured her, causing her to blush. "You're much more of my type." Charisma looked at him once again and giggled coyly.

Trunks' ears picked this up right away, almost like radars. He glared at the two from the corner of his eye, and especially threw daggers with his gaze at Mace. His hand griped onto his pencil tightly until it cracked and splintered with a loud crack. Charisma felt Trunks' power level suddenly jump by just a bit but it was enough to catch her attention. She turned around to see Trunks standing up at his desk with his seat far behind him. She gazed up at him quizzically.

"…Trunks?" she slowly called to him. "Is there something wrong?" Her eyes fell to his open notebook and she saw an unfinished math problem. She laughed to herself and looked up at him with gentle eyes. "Are you stuck on this problem? It's really not so hard. I get really frustrated too sometimes and I wanna break my pencils, but you just have to relax and clear your mind."

Trunks looked down at her and swallowed his anger before taking a seat once again. He grabbed his backpack and began rummaging through it until he realized something. He lifted his eyes to hers with a hint of a shame and mumbled. "…Can I borrow a pencil…?"

Charisma chuckled and nodded her head. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a mechanical pencil with a cute purple bear dangling cutely off the top end. "Don't break it now or you'll have to get me a new one!" she warned, half jokingly. She turned back towards Mace and smiled at him.

Mace affectionately patted her head and she grinned shyly. Trunks saw this and rolled his eyes. He shifted his gaze towards the professor who entered the room now in an attempt to avoid getting any more upset. The last thing he wanted to hear was Charisma screaming at him for breaking her favorite pencil.

…

After about an hour, Charisma proceeded to her next class and sat with Goten as usual. Though he was there beside her, she constantly found herself bored out of her mind. They sat in the front of the class where it was easy for the teacher to keep an eye on them. It was difficult to chat with Goten because of that.

Charisma's eyes shifted towards the window and out towards the sky. Although she was certain that Mace meant what he said about Aracelle, she couldn't help but feel worried about it. She remembered Aracelle clearly from those days, and Charisma could see that Aracelle hadn't changed at all. If anything, she had gotten worse. Aracelle was the type of girl that might do anything to get her way.

…

_Aracelle was determined in making Trunks her boyfriend back then, and somehow, she managed to do it. Trunks, who was the most hardheaded person known to man, was somehow won over by Aracelle. Charisma still couldn't believe it, even now. She wondered what Aracelle's methods were...and what her motives were._

_Sure, Trunks was a cute boy and had a few female followers. But why would Aracelle be so interested in him when he wasn't even so popular as she was? _

**'**_**She loves competition,' **__Charisma mentally told herself. __**'She loves being envied. She's filled with enough arrogance to make even Trunks' dad seem downright modest…she loves that power she has over everyone.' **__Charisma's fists tightened angrily. __**'But she won't have that power over me!'**_

_It was amazing to think that Trunks had caught feelings for Aracelle during their short relationship. He was a young teen without any previous love interests. Or at least, any obvious ones. Trunks was enveloped by Aracelle's aura of confidence and beauty. She had a way with words and knew how to carry herself. He hadn't met anyone quite like her before._

"_Hello, Charisma," Bulma greeted the fourteen year old girl as she entered the Capsule Corp house. "Trunks is here. He's watching television with Aracelle."_

_Charisma just barely succeeded in keeping away a sour look. "Okay…I'll go find him."_

_She headed deeper into the house until she saw Trunks sitting on the couch with Aracelle. The two were extremely close to each other. Aracelle had her head on his shoulder and Trunks seemed happy about that. It wasn't a scene Charisma ever thought she'd see. Trunks wasn't lovey-dovey at all. He was the complete opposite, if anything. The reality that stared her coldly and straight into the eyes was hard to swallow._

_Charisma's eyes flattened sadly as she heard them laughing together. She didn't know whether to stay or go. She thought it might be best to leave them alone and turned to go back home until she heard Aracelle call her name._

"_It's nice to see you," she said, her voice sprinkled with artificial kindness. "Why don't you join us? You don't mind, do you, Trunks?"_

_Trunks shook his head. "I don't mind at all."_

_Charisma just smiled and shook her head. "I really couldn't…I don't want to disturb you guys."_

"_Not at all…" Aracelle protested. Her syrupy voice, obviously plastered by her fake attempt at sounding friendly, almost made Charisma sick. Aracelle grabbed Trunks' arm and put it around her neck. "It's not a problem."_

_Charisma stared at them blankly. She didn't want to look sad or defeated, especially in front of Aracelle. She attempted to hide them by messing with her bangs until they fell over the entirety of her forehead. "I should go. I think Misa would like to see me." Charisma turned around and left without a word. Aracelle shrugged and kissed Trunks on the cheek._

_Charisma walked out the house and sighed sadly as she made it home. She took a seat on the swing that hung from a tree in front of her house. "What's wrong with me?" she told herself. "Trunks seems really happy…I've never seen him so happy before. I should be happy for him, too…"_

_Charisma griped onto the ropes of the swings and took a deep breath before swinging herself. She tossed her head back and stared at the passing white clouds in the blue sky, the sun stinging her eyes just a bit._

**'_We weren't such close friends anymore while she was around. Was she trying to break us up? I really think so. She never like me…I'm starting to doubt whether she ever really had feelings for Trunks, too.'_**

_Charisma's little blue eyes shut at the brightness of the sun and the feeling of the wind. She lowered her head and stopped swinging. She brought up a hand to her eyes and gently rubbed. She stared down at her hand when she noticed that it was wet and laughed pitifully. "What am I crying about?" She slowly began swinging again. "Is it because I'm happy for him?…Yeah that must be it…"_

**...**

_Charisma went on to school the next day. While walking through the halls after school with Misa, the two friends decided to head off to the playground just to hang out for a few minutes._

_Misa climbed on the jungle gym as Charisma headed towards the slides and obstacle course. She climbed up the tallest slide and looked out at the view. Behind a certain part of the playground, her eyes caught sight of the back of a purple head walking off towards the back of the school building. She quickly went the slide and ran over to the monkey bars._

"_Misa!" she called with panic. "I think I saw Trunks doing something suspicious!"_

_Misa gasped and jumped off from her place. "Then let's go investigate and see what he's up to!"_

_The girls headed off towards Trunks' direction. Charisma was careful to keep her power level low, in order to not be sensed by Trunks. Misa and Charisma stopped and leaned against the wall of the building before peering over a corner into the back part of school._

_They both gasped when they saw what was happening._

"_KISS!" Misa blurted out in shook. Charisma was frozen for a second as she watched, but as soon as Trunks and Aracelle looked towards her direction, she hastily grabbed onto Misa and flew up towards the roof of the building. Trunks and Aracelle exchanged glances before continuing with their kiss._

_Misa giggled as she sat atop the roof, looking down at the couple as they continued smooching. "Can you believe it?" she laughed. "Trunks and kisses? Who would've thought?" She turned around to see Charisma facing the other direction. "What's wrong, Strawberry?"_

_Charisma covered her face with her hands. "…I don't know!" she cried._

"…_Are you really upset about this?" asked Misa. "…About Trunks and Aracelle? I thought you were happy for them…"_

"_I thought I was, too," Charisma sobbed as she lowered her head. "I don't know what's wrong with me…"_

_Misa gasped as her eyes widened and she came to a conclusion. "…Do you have feelings for Trunks, too?"_

_Charisma lifted her head to look at Misa. She shrugged and stared at her hands. "…Sadly, I think I do…" Misa gasped almost loud enough for Trunks and his girlfriend to hear. Misa took Charisma by the hand. "Why don't we go talk about it somewhere?"_

_The two girls carefully headed back to sit on the swings on the playground._

"_How did this happen, Charisma?"_

"_I don't really know," she replied as she swung her feet gently. "…I didn't realize I even had feelings for him until Aracelle showed up. We haven't talked in a long time like we used to…I've barely had a chance to hang out with him. In a weird way, I've always kind felt like I was special to him somehow, even when we were little. There wasn't any other girl in his life that he cared about but me…and now all of a sudden, this other girl becomes everything for him and he doesn't even remember me anymore. I guess…I just not used to that."_

"_Does he like you?"_

_Charisma shook her head sadly. "Of course not. I know he cares about me…but that's about it. We'll never be together. I realized my hopes a while ago and I realized today that they really won't come true. But I don't have any other choice other than to be happy for him somehow."_

_Misa stared at her friend with empathic eyes. "You're a strong girl, Charisma. Keep your head up and you'll find happiness."_

…

'I hope so,' Charisma thought as she headed down the halls of school towards her locker. School was over and the hundreds of students crowded the hallways with noise. She arrived in time to find Misa at her locker.

"I just checked my calendar and guess what I found?" Misa asked cheerfully as Charisma approached her.

"School will be out in about eight more months?" guessed Charisma with a hopeful look.

"No, something even better!" Misa grabbed her calendar out from her locker. "Your birthday is coming up in two weeks! Are we gonna party or what?"

"Oh yeah," Charisma said with finger on her lips. "I've been talking to my parents about throwing a little party at my house with family and friends. Nothing too major…"

"I love parties," Misa announced happily as she watched Charisma open her locker and put her things away. "You have to invite Mace!"

Charisma smiled at Misa. "Of course I will! I wouldn't want him to miss it. He's my friend now so he's definitely going to be invited." The two girls made their way through the halls and out of the building.

"Trunks has been acting weird today," Misa mentioned as they left the building.

"How so?"

"I don't know…he seems to be in a bad mood…"

Charisma laughed. "That's nothing new… He broke a pencil today in math class and almost broke the one I let him borrow. He's just having difficulties in school. That's all…but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. He'll be fine." The girls met up with Trunks and Goten at the school's front gate.

"You're both invited to my birthday party!" Charisma informed them as she stopped in front of them and greeted them with open arms.

"Yes!" Goten cheered with a fist in the air. "I love parties!"

"That's what I said!" Misa chortled and elbowed Trunks. "Don't you like parties, Trunks?"

He sighed and crossed his arms. "I guess…"

Charisma smiled at him and nodded her head. "He does love parties… And he's going to get me something really special this year, right?" Trunks rolled his eyes and Charisma scoffed. "Fine then! I'm not getting you anything for your birthday either!" Charisma stuck her tongue out playfully. "Just two more weeks! I can't wait!"

_Chapter 15 will be up soon. I've suddenly been struck by a moderate case of writers' block, but I'm pulling through! Please review!_


	15. Take a Chance

_Author's Note: _Finally, I updated! Gosh, my mild case of writer's block ended up becoming a full blown case of writer's block! Plus, it's been difficult to write stuff for fun considering the fact that I'm in school again and I need to focus on writing 10 page essays and such. And in addition to that, I've been working like crazy for the past month. Anyway, hopefully the next update will come sometime soon. Not too soon, but hopefully within the next month or so, if i'm not too busy. Enough of that, enjoy now! :)

_Chapter 15:_

_Take a Chance_

Charisma stood in her bedroom brushing her long blonde hair. She carefully set it up as a bun atop her head and carefully pried out a few strands for a stylish finish. She sat on her bed and put on her white heels. After one last look at herself in the mirror, Charisma smiled and adjusted her charm bracelet on her small wrist.

"I'm ready!" she happily announced before heading out the door. She carefully went down the stairs in time to see a group of guests arriving. She squealed happily and ran over to greet them.

"Uncle Krillin!" she hugged the short middle-aged man. "It's been a long time!"

"You're getting old, kiddo," he said pleasantly as he looked up at her. "I'm glad we were invited. We wouldn't miss a party!"

18 entered the house silently with a now thirteen-year-old Marron. Marron smiled when she saw Charisma.

"You look so pretty!" Marron complemented the girl as they hugged. "I like that dress!"

Charisma smiled and patted the girl's back. "Thanks! I haven't seen you in forever!" Charisma noticed 18 standing there and waved with a friendly smile.

"Are you eighteen yet, Charisma?" Master Roshi asked as he entered. Charisma blushed but much to her delight, he was soon bopped on the back of his head by Chi-Chi.

"You're sick, old man!" she growled before heading towards the birthday girl with a smile. "Happy birthday, Charisma!"

"Thank you! Thank you!" Charisma replied with a polite bow. She watched as Goten and Goku entered with Yamcha and Puar. "Hey, everyone! Thanks for coming!"

"Happy birthday!" they simultaneously shouted and gathered around her.

"Hello, everyone!" Kaylei happily greeted the guests. "Come on in! I have everything set up!"

The guests followed Charisma's mother into the living room, where they sat down. Goten put and arm around his friend's shoulder.

"Looking good, girlie," he said smoothly. "Is that guy coming to see you today?"

"You mean Mace? Yeah, I invited him," she replied. "I hope he really does show up."

"Oh, I know he will," Goten said knowingly. "If a girl invites a guy to her birthday party, it's a sign that she's so into him…"

Charisma's leaned closer to him with wide eyes and tilted her head. "Really? I don't want to make it so obvious!"

"Calm down," Goten chuckled as he crossed his arms. "He's crazy about you."

Charisma cheered and clapped her hands. "Yay! Have I ever told you how glad I am to have a friend like you? You give the best advice!"

Goten blushed and scratched the back of his head. "I am something, aren't I?"

Charisma giggled as she made her way towards the open front door. "You sure are!" Charisma stood at the doorway to wait for any more guests that would be arriving. A cool breeze blew in from the distance as she could see another group of guests approaching.

"It's so nice to see you all," Charisma greeted as the remaining guests as they stepped in. Gohan entered with Videl and their three-year-old daughter, Pan.

"Hey, kids!" he greeted Charisma and Goten.

"We're not kids, Gohan!" Goten protested.

"Sure you're not!" Gohan teasingly replied. He put an arm around Charisma. "Congrats!"

"Thanks!"

"Happy birthday!" Pan said cheerfully and walked up to Charisma. She held out a small box covered in gift wrap.

Charisma smiled affectionately at the toddler and kneeled down towards her. "For me? Thank you, Pan!"

Pan giggled and ran to her mother.

"Happy birthday, Charisma," Videl said warmly.

"Thanks!" she replied right before noticing another group of guests around. "You're finally here!"

Bulma, Trunks, and Bra entered the house. Misa happened to tag along, and Vegeta was reluctantly in the back of the group, as always. He wasn't the party type at all, but Charisma was glad to see that he at least decided to show up.

"Bestie!" Misa happily chirped as she tightly hugged her best friend. "Happy birthday!" She noticed Goten and waved. "Hey, you!"

"Hey, Misa," Goten smirked.

Bulma and her daughter also greeted Charisma and Goten before heading off into the living with Vegeta.

"You didn't say hi to me!" Charisma said as she came closer to Trunks. "Do I mean so little to you?"

Trunks rolled his eyes but put on a smile and hugged Charisma tightly. "Of course not…happy birthday, Strawberry!"

Charisma blushed against him, but wrapped her arms around him and smiled. "Thanks…you're a great friend."

Misa smiled happily at the sight of harmony between those two. Moments like this where Trunks was actually so sweet to Charisma were almost rare nowadays.

…

Within a few minutes, the teens were all assembled in a small office located near the front of the house. The office was filled with chairs and a leather sofa. The friends sat together and watched TV in the office as they drank soda and ate dinner.

"I'm so bored," Goten said and turned towards the group. "Don't you have a radio in here or something?"

Charisma rolled her eyes and pointed towards the end of the room. "There's a giant stereo right over there."

Goten placed his plate of food on a table near by and began messing around with the buttons on the radio.

"You're such a party animal," Misa grinned as she watched Goten rock the beat of a robotic sounding techno song. She stood up and walked over to him. "Let's dance!"

Goten turned to her and smirked. "Certainly, pretty lady!"

Trunks and Charisma stared at them with confused glances but shook their heads and went back to eating. There was a silence between the two friends. Charisma let out a sigh and put her food down.

"Is there something wrong?" Trunks asked, noticing her changing expression.

"Not at all…" she began to say before she was cut off by the sound of the doorbell.

"I wonder who that can be," Misa said as she came over and interrupted the dance with Goten, who continued bopping to the beat. "Be a gentleman and answer it for the birthday girl, Trunks…"

Normally, Trunks would've protested, but it was Charisma's day after all. "Fine, I'll get it," he told her. Charisma smiled warmly at him and nodded.

"Thanks…"

Trunks exited the room and headed to the door nearby. "I've got it!" he called out towards the direction of the living room filled with adults. With a sigh, he unlocked the door and pulled it open. He suppressed a growl when he realized the final guest Charisma had invited to the party.

'It's Mace,' Trunks thought to himself. 'I should just tell him to go home…'

Mace returned the dirty look. "Where's Charisma? This is her house, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Trunks simply responded.

"Hey," the two boys heard a voice call out. "Who's at the door, Trunks?" Charisma approached the door and peered over to see the guest. "Mace! You came!"

"Yeah," he sweetly replied. "I wouldn't have missed the chance to see you today and wish you a happy birthday…"

Charisma blushed, pretty much pushing Trunks out of the way to grab Mace's hand. "Come on in! The party's just starting!" She giggled as she pulled him along towards the small office. "Goten and Misa are here, too!"

Trunks slowly shut the door and stared after them. 'So that's why she was sad…because he wasn't here yet…I should've known...' Trunks released his tightened fist and trudged over to the office.

"Hey, what's up?" Goten saluted Mace with a wave and took a seat on the sofa. Charisma and Misa stood by the radio.

Misa giggled and turned towards her friend with a whisper. "He's looking so good tonight, right?"

Charisma blushed and looked over to the tall, dark haired boy. He stared back at her and grinned. She smiled back and turned to Misa. "…Yes…" she replied breathlessly.

Misa and Charisma both walked over to the sofa and sat down. "I ate too much," Misa said, rubbing her tummy. "It'll be a good thirty minutes before I start dancing again."

Charisma looked up at Mace. "Have a seat!" she told him and scooted over to give him room.

"Thank you, Charisma," he replied and sat down.

Trunks silently walked over to the other end of the couch and grabbed a chair. He practically threw himself on it and caused it to squeak. Goten gasped lowly and noticed the almost angry expression on Trunks' face. He leaned over towards his friend. "Is there something wrong?" he whispered.

Trunks shook his head with a growl. "It's nothing…I just don't feel like partying today."

"Why?" Goten asked, not understanding this at all. "This isn't just ant party. This is Charisma's party…" Charisma heard her name and looked over towards the two boys.

Trunks crossed his arms and sighed. "I'm going out for a walk." With that, he stood up and headed towards the door and walked off without another word.

Charisma's eyebrows furrowed. "What's wrong with him?" she asked Goten.

"I have no idea," Goten shrugged. "He said he suddenly doesn't feel like he wants to be here…"

"Why wouldn't he want to be here?" Charisma frowned at that fact and shook her head as she stood up. "It must be something serious. I'll go talk to him. I'll be right back." Charisma hurried to find Trunks just a few feet away from the front door.

"Trunks, what's wrong?" she called out to him. He stopped in his place but didn't look back. Charisma sighed and rushed over to him.

"I'm leaving for a while," he responded. His voice was low and almost angry and this perplexed Charisma even more.

Her frown deepened and she pouted. "But why? What happened?"

"I'm not feeling well. That's all…"

Charisma's eyes flattened and fell to the floor. A wave of disappointment hit her and she crossed her arms. Charisma turned around to see Misa, Goten, and Mace watching.

"You can go home if you really feel that badly," she said, trying to disguise the sadness in her voice, but failing at it.

"I'm sorry," Trunks apologized to the stunned group of friends as he grabbed the front door's knob and opened it.

Charisma looked back towards him with sad eyes. Trunks tried his best not to look. Her puppy eyes always made him cave in and he wasn't in the mood for that. Mace noticed the distressed look on Charisma's face and patted her shoulder with a smile.

"Cheer up, Charisma," he said warmly. Charisma stared up at him. "Today's your birthday, you should be happy."

Trunks' eyes darted to the boy before he growled lowly and walked out of the house. Charisma sighed at the sound of the door closing and nodded her head.

"You're right," she replied. "Thanks…but I'm going to walk Trunks to his house. I'm kind of worried about him…"

"Charisma…" Misa sympathetically began before being cut off by Goten.

"That sounds like a good idea,' he said and nodded at the blond girl. "If there's anyone who can get to the bottom of this, I know it's you, Charisma. You always have a way of getting Trunks to talk."

Mace stared at the two friends then back at Charisma. "I'm fine with that. Go ahead and help him."

Charisma smiled at the trio and opened the front door. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Make yourselves comfy!"

**...**

Charisma shut the door behind her and saw that Trunks had just walked past the fence in the front yard. She sighed with relief and jogged over to him. She stopped a few feet away from him and tightened her fists.

"Okay, what's really wrong with you?" she asked and put her hands on her hips.

Trunks groaned and turned around to look at her. "Nothing at all. I told you…I just don't feel well."

"…I don't believe you…" Charisma grumbled as she neared him.

"Believe what you want, Charisma," he replied crossly and began walking towards his house once again. "I don't want to be here so I'm going home."

Charisma's shoulders fell and her hands slipped off her hips to swing softly by her side. She helplessly stared out at him but shook her head and hurried up to walk beside him. The city was rather peaceful tonight. Only the sounds of distant cars and their feet pounding against the sidewalk echoed in the atmosphere. Charisma looked at the charms on her bracelet as they passed an orange street light. Her fist tightened and she looked up at Trunks.

His mind seemed to be somewhere else. Charisma knew there was something wrong with him, but Trunks was never to type of guy to talk about his feelings. In fact, Charisma didn't know many who were.

'I have to do something,' she thought. 'He's gonna talk to me whether he likes it or not!'

Charisma suddenly wrapped her arms around Trunks and clung tightly to his body, burying her face into his black shirt. That definitely made Trunks stop and burn with a bright blush. His ice blue eyes fell to her and she slowly opened her eyes to look up at him. He felt his lungs constrict and his breath hitch.

"I've known you forever, Trunks," she explained with a soft voice. "Yet, you seem so distant from me. You can always tell me whatever might be bothering you and I'll always do my best to help. We're friends, aren't we?"

Trunks felt his anger slowly subside but could barely stop blushing. "I really…don't understand what I feel," he finally said, turning his gaze away from her. "…I don't know…"

Charisma gasped and pulled away from him. "Do you want to talk? We can take a seat in the back yard where we can be alone…"

Trunks stared down at her and saw her hope-filled eyes. He nodded his head and followed her towards the swing set behind her house. Charisma ran over to a swing and sat. Trunks sat on the swing beside and stared at the ground for a few seconds and lifted his gaze towards the starry night sky.

"…It must be something serious…" Charisma suddenly said. "You've been so grumpy lately. Take your time. I'm always here…" Trunks stared up at her as she began gently swinging herself.

'You're always there for me. You're always a hand I can reach out to when I need you…but you don't see, do you? You don't understand me…even though you try to… You wouldn't accept me.' Trunks' eyes fell to the ground once again. 'Maybe…maybe you'll understand me this time? I don't know what else to do. I don't want to lose you…not to him…or anybody else…'

"…Charisma…I've spent a lot of timing thinking to myself," he spoke up, disrupting the gentle silence. Charisma stopped swinging to pay attention. "…I'm afraid of what you might think of me."

"Really?" Charisma asked intently. "You shouldn't be afraid at all. I'm your friend and I wouldn't judge you or see you any differently, no matter what you say."

Trunks lowered his head. "I want to tell you what I feel…but…" He struggled to find the right words, but he couldn't think of any. Before he could proceed any further, however, the other three friends suddenly rushed out, beaming with excited.

"What were you two doing?" Goten asked. "You won't believe what your dad is doing, Charisma!"

Charisma's face became ashen and stood up off the swing. "I have a bad feeling about this…"

"Baby pictures!" Misa blurted. "He brought out a giant screen and is broadcasting baby moments in front of everyone! You gotta come and see!"

"What? Oh no!" Charisma cried as she was dragged inside by Goten and Misa. "OH NOOOO!"

Trunks stared off at them with wide eyes. He shook his head and breathed a low sigh. "I don't know how to tell you…I guess I never will…" Trunks stood up and headed back towards the house.

…

Charisma managed to live through the embarrassment of her baby picture slideshow and blow out the seventeen candles on her cake. She noticed the dazed look Trunks constantly gave her and wondered about what could be bothering him. What ever it could be, she figured, she'd be sure to get to the bottom of it and help him.

Time from then went by quickly and the end of the night arrived. The guests began shuffling out of the door, smiling to the birthday girl and her family as they went.

"We hope to do this again sometime," Chichi said sweetly as she departed with her family, along with Krillin and his family, and Master Roshi and his crew. They all waved and nodded in agreement with Chichi's statement. Goten quickly ran up and gave Charisma and tight hug.

"Happy birthday…" he said before whispering into her ear. "Good luck with you-know-who!"

Charisma blushed as Goten pulled away and winked. She laughed to herself and waved at everyone with her parents.

"Your party was the best!" Misa giggled as she came up beside Charisma. "Those baby pics were a sight to see!"

Charisma blushed and shot a glance towards her parents who nervously chuckled to themselves before retreated into the house. Charisma returned her gaze to Misa. "Just pretend you didn't see it, okay?"

"That'll be hard to do!" Misa beamed and playfully swatted Charisma's shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, best friend!"

"Bye!" Charisma waved and watched Misa run out towards the street.

"We had great time!" Bulma said as she came up and suddenly embraced Charisma. "I got you something really nice. I hope you like it!"

"I'm sure I will, Bulma," Charisma replied with a warm smile. She watched as Bulma and her family made their way outside. Trunks sighed as he passed by Charisma and she noticed the aura of unhappiness that surrounded him. Her smiled slowly faded into a frown.

"Hey Trunks," she called out to him. He stopped walking to look back at her. "Don't be afraid to talk to me…"

Trunks' eyes lifted to gaze at hers and he felt his breath hitch slightly. He brushed off that feeling and smiled at her. "Thank you, Charisma." Charisma smiled back at him wholehearted and waved vigorously as he walked off with his family.

"Thank you for coming," Charisma told Mace as he approached the exit. Mace grinned down at her with his usual handsome smile.

"You don't have to thank me," he said sweetly. "I wanted to see you, and I wanted to make sure I could get you a special present."

Charisma stared up at him with confusion. "What present?"

Mace dropped his eyes to her right hand and gently pulled it up towards him. Charisma watched with big blue eyes as he slipped a silver ring down her ring finger. She gasped and slowly pulled her hand back to study the ring. It glistened magically in the moonlight. It was a simple band but Charisma couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful it was. She understood that Mace's feelings had been conveyed.

"I want to be with you," he said softly. "I want you to be my girlfriend, Charisma. I don't know if you feel the same way about me as I feel for you, but I knew it'd be worth the risk to find out where I stand in your heart."

Charisma smiled up at him affectionately and wrapped her arms around his waist in a tight hug. "I accept!"

…

The next morning, Misa promptly arrived at Trunks' house. She found Trunks and Goten standing the yard. Trunks stood with his arms crossed and an unhappy look on his face.

"Hey, guys, what's up?" she asked.

"Charisma's late!" Trunks grumbled and turned to look at Misa. "She takes too long to get ready…"

"We don't have to wait for her. She told me she has things to do before school," Misa explained as she approached Goten. She smiled up at him and nodded. "That party last night was fun, wasn't it? You're a good dancer, Goten! I still can't get over that!" Goten smirked at her.

"I told you that I know how to party, didn't I?" he replied smoothly.

"Let's just get going," Trunks scoffed and began heading out towards the sidewalk.

"Wait up, man!" Goten called out to him as he and Misa followed. "What about Charisma?"

"She won't mind," Trunks briskly replied. "Let's just go before she makes us late…"

The trio soon took to the skies to head towards school. Goten and Misa were flirtatiously chatting with each other. For some reason, Trunks had woken up on the wrong side of bed again, it seemed. Trunks' eyes momentarily stared down at the crowd before he descended behind them. He was about to begin walking when he noticed the back of a familiar head.

"Charisma…? She's with him again…" Trunks was cut off mid-thought when his eyes fell and noticed Charisma's fingers laced softly within Mace's hand. 'What's this?'

Misa and Goten landed and began making their way up to Trunks. They were startled when he suddenly began running towards the crowd. Trunks stopped a few feet behind Charisma and Mace with his hands fisted by his sides. Once again, Charisma felt his power level jump slightly and it startled her. She recognized it immediately and turned around to see Trunks standing a short distance away from her.

"Hey, Trunks!" she greeted in her usually happy tone. Trunks' eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a low voice.

"Huh? What kind of a question is that?" Charisma tilted her head to the side with a perplexed gaze. "I go to this school too, remember?"

Mace's eyes travelled between the two. "Is there something wrong?"

"I don't know," Charisma shrugged, looking up at Mace. Her eyes returned to Trunks. "Are you upset because I didn't tell you that I wouldn't be able to walk with you to school today? Didn't Misa tell you?"

"Yeah, she told me," Trunks growled. "But…" Before he could continue, Misa and Goten finally caught up.

"Hey, girl!" Misa jovially waved at her friend. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," Charisma smiled and nodded her head in response. "You didn't tell the boys about me, did you?"

"Oh yeah, you wanted me to break the news, right?" Misa replied. She giggled and playfully knocked on her head. "Sure, I'll tell them."

"Tell us what?" asked Goten curiously.

"Charisma and Mace are officially a couple!" Misa giggled happily, brimming with excitement and pointing at the two as if she were pointing at a fancy new car.

Trunks' jaw nearly dropped and his eyes almost bulged out of his head. "What?"

"Don't act so surprised," Mace explained and looked down at his girlfriend, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, seriously," Charisma laughed. The sound of a loud bell suddenly broke the conversation. "Oh, we'd better get going or else we'll be late!"

"Sure, let's get going!" Goten agreed. "And congrats you two!"

Trunks silently watched as the four others slowly made their way towards the building. He brought a hand to his forehead and shook his head. 'I guess…there's nothing more for me to do…other than…be happy for her…and protect her. No matter what, I'll always be her friend at least…right?'

Trunks sighed and began walking towards the school.


	16. Walls

_Author's Note:_ Good news! Good news! I actually updated sooner than I anticipated! I was kind of stuck halfway through this chapter with a mild case of writer's block but thankfully it went away! I had this dream last night so it kind of inspired me. :) I'm so happy! Anyway, the chapters a bit short but I promise to make the next one a bit longer. Enjoy!

Chapter 16:

Walls

Misa and Goten could hardly contain their childish giggles as they watched from afar. Charisma was walking a couple of feet away with her new boyfriend Mace. Their fingers remained tightly intertwined. Trunks, on the other hand, walked behind his two friends and didn't lift his eyes off the ground at all. Everyone was oblivious to Trunks' mood but he preferred it to be this way. He hated drawing attention to himself, especially when it came to sharing his feelings.

Charisma was all smiles since the day Mace asked her to be his girlfriend and her cheeks were almost permanently dyed red from the many times she'd been blushing. She lifted her eyes up towards him and smiled when he looked down at her.

"I think I'm must be the happiest man in the world right now," he said lovingly and let go of her hand to wrap his around her waist. He pulled her close to him as they continued walking. Charisma's smile became a wide grin and her blue eyes glistened.

"I'm so happy, too! I'm glad we get to be together like this." She wrapped her arm around his waist as well and sighed with content. Her eyes suddenly focused on the girl approaching from the other end of the hallway. 'Aracelle…' Charisma growled mentally. 'She better not try anything stupid…'

Much to her relief, Aracelle didn't say a word. Instead, she contented herself with a mean passing glance at Charisma, before flipping her nose into the air haughtily. Charisma grinned wickedly to herself. 'Looks like I've won this battle witch."

Trunks shuffled into his classroom and took his usual seat. 'This is great,' he thought sarcastically to himself. 'Now I have to sit next to these two love birds and listen to them all period long. The thought of it makes me sick…' Trunks grimaced when he heard Charisma and Mace giggling and heading towards their seats.

Charisma sat down and looked towards her friend. "Hey!" she cheerfully greeted him before she turned back to face her boyfriend.

Trunks didn't respond but Charisma was too enthralled in her conversation with Mace to notice. For the first time since this morning, Trunks finally lifted his eyes to look at her. Her smiling profile filled him with a mix of happiness, anger, and a little sadness. His eyes narrowed and he broke his gaze from her and sighed lowly.

…

Charisma barely paid any mind to Trunks all day along, but this suited him just fine. He really didn't want to talk to her much. He could barely stand the sight of her now. At the end of the school day, Trunks walked off towards his locker alone and fumbled with the combination.

"Hey Trunks," Goten greeted as he suddenly appeared behind the open locker door. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Trunks mumbled back not lifting his eyes to Goten.

Goten crossed his arms and peered over at Trunks with narrow eyes. "What's wrong? You're in a bad mood again today? What happened now?"

"It's nothing," he replied with an exasperated sigh as he shut the locker door. It slammed so violently that a piece of the ceiling fell down and almost struck Goten. Other students around watched in shock and looked up to see a chunk of missing paneling. Luckily, Goten jumped out of the way just at the right moment. Of course the falling piece would not cause him any harm, but he didn't want to look like a fool in front of all the girls around.

"Okay, there's something definitely bothering you," Goten groaned as he followed Trunks towards the main exit. "You've been acting grouchy for the past few weeks and I can't understand why. You're not female, so you're definitely not PMSing now, are you?"

Trunks suddenly stopped walking and nearly caused Goten before turning to face him. "Stop being such a pain in the ass, would you?" he snapped before walking off and leaving Goten behind.

Goten stared after him with his mouth wide open. "Oh yeah, there's definitely something going with him. I know just the right person who can get to the bottom of this…"

Goten stepped outside the building to see Misa walking with Charisma and Mace. He smiled and waved his arm around. "Hey guys! Wait for me!"

Misa turned around and waved at him as he ran over. "Hey you!" she called out. She turned back around towards the couple. "You're going home with Mace again now, right?"

Charisma looked at her best friend apologetically. "Yeah, I'm sorry…you can come along if you'd like!"

Misa shook her head and smiled as she wagged her finger in the air. "No way! You two should spend as much alone time as possible. I wouldn't want to be a third wheel or get in the way, you know."

"Misa…" Charisma began to protest.

"Honestly, go on!" Misa said as she gently pushed the couple forward by a few steps. "I'll walk with Trunks and Goten!"

Charisma looked down for a moment but then looked back up at Misa with a wide grin. "Thanks a lot, Misa!" she beamed. Misa waved as she watched Mace and Charisma head off to his car. Misa turned around to face Goten.

"Is she leaving with him today?" Goten asked as he came up beside her.

"Yeah," Misa nodded her head. "But I'm happy for her. She looks really happy now, don't you think?"

"Yeah of course. But there's another one of us who isn't in such a peachy mood, I'm afraid." Goten sighed and crossed his arms.

Misa turned to him with a knowing glower. "Trunks, am I right?"

"Yup," Goten nodded his head. "What do you think has gotten into him? I've tried talking to him a lot of times already and he just snaps at me."

Misa crossed her arms and smiled to herself. "I think I know what the problem is…."

"Huh?" Goten turned to her. "What is it then?"

"…It's just a theory now, I don't have any real proof of it…"

"What are you talking about?"

Misa grabbed Goten by the arm and began walking home. "This might be a little farfetched, but I think Trunks might just have a little thing on Charisma."

Goten gasped and shook his head. "No way! …You really think?"

"I really do," Misa replied. "Just think about it. Every time Charisma found herself interested in someone, Trunks never approved, no matter how much of a gentleman the guy was. And lately, Trunks has been even more upset than usual, because this time, Charisma really does seem to like Mace…a whole lot."

Goten nodded his head in agreement. "I see. It's beginning to make sense to me. He always seems to be in a bad mood whenever Mace comes around. Every time I tried talking to him about it he always tells me to mind my own business. But how can we be sure?"

"Well, there is the possibility that Trunks is only doing this because he promised Charisma's father that he'd watch over her," Misa said before chuckling to herself. "But somehow, it doesn't fly with me. We're gonna have to look into it!"

"What are you talking about?" Goten gazed at her with a look of confusion.

"Oh, you'll see!" Misa giggled as she grabbed Goten by the hand and dragged him down the sidewalk. "This could be dangerous, though."

"What?"

Misa looked back at Goten and smiled. "Can you sense Trunks anywhere?"

The two stopped walking and Goten paused for a moment. He nodded his head. "He's just up ahead somewhere. I don't think he's too far." Goten picked Misa up in his arms. "We can catch up!" Misa squealed as Goten suddenly darted at light speed down the sidewalk. Within a minute, Goten could see Trunks making his way through the town. "I found him!"

"Hey! You're right!" Misa giggled as the two stopped right behind Trunks. Goten let her down and waved his hand at Trunks' back.

"Hey there! What's up?"

Trunks grumbled to himself before turning around. "What are you doing here?"

"We're worried about you," Misa said softly. "Why are you so upset? Did someone do something awful to you?"

Trunks growled. There was some truth to that…

"It's nothing," Trunks said as he turned around and continued walking. Misa and Goten remained a few feet behind him but followed. The two exchanged a glance and Misa nodded her head. She smiled brightly and spoke up.

"Charisma and Mace make such a cute couple…"

Trunks' eyebrows furrowed.

"…don't you think, Goten?" Misa smiled at Goten.

Goten took a deep breath. "Yeah, and they both look really happy, especially Charisma. I've never seen her so happy before."

"It's wonderful, isn't it? I think I'm gonna vote for them as Class Couple in the yearbook." Misa laughed. "It'll be great! What do you think, Trunks?"

Trunks suddenly stopped in his place, nearly causing Goten to ram into him. Misa and Goten exchanged another glance but one of confusion and perhaps a little bit of fear.

"…I don't care about those two. What goes on between them in none of my business." Trunks' eyes fell to the ground. "But…if he does anything to hurt her, then it'll be my business and he'll be very sorry."

Misa smiled softly to herself and blushed. 'How sweet…' she thought to herself. 'Trunks really _does_ like her…a lot!'

She looked at Goten and he smiled back. "It's true."

…

Later that afternoon, Trunks sat in his living room by himself and watched TV.

"Trunks!" Bulma suddenly called to him. "Charisma is here!" Trunks and looked up to the doorway in time to see Charisma walk in.

"Hey you!" she greeted with her usual cheerfulness.

"What are you doing here?" he asked lowly and looked back at the television.

"Huh?" Charisma stared at him and frowned. "Are you not happy to see me?" Charisma smiled at him again. "Whether you are happy or not, we have to study for tomorrow's test!"

"What?" Trunks asked, completely surprised. "We're having a test?"

"Yup," Charisma replied as she walked over to the spot on the couch beside Trunks and sat. Trunks moved over slightly to give her more room. "I think you need help when it comes to studying. I've noticed that you've broken a lot of pencils lately. I know it gets frustrating sometimes, but you can't get upset. You just have to keep trying and not give up. The answer is out there, you just have to find it!" Trunks crossed his arms and finally lifted his eyes to her. She smiled up at him. "I'm here to help!"

Trunks felt a smile tugging at his lips and couldn't stop it. As annoyed as he was with Charisma, he found it difficult not to smile when he was around her. Her smiles were definitely contagious.

"Let's get started!" Charisma pulled her notebook out of her bag. "He's testing us on chapters twelve through twenty."

Charisma pretty much lectured Trunks on those chapters for the next fifteen minutes. She noticed the glazed look in his eyes and realized he wasn't paying much attention. His ice blue eyes seemed to be fixed on her. When their eyes met, she felt herself blush and couldn't understand why. She cleared her throat and smiled.

"Hey, are you sleepy?" she asked, interrupting her own lecture. "Am I boring you?"

Trunks shook his head. "I'm sorry. I can't really focus much."

Charisma's eyes fell to the ground. "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Are you mad at me?"

Trunks blushed and shook his head. Of course he felt a bit of anger towards her, and he knew it wasn't justified, but he didn't want to upset her. She did seem really happy now that she was with Mace. Trunks didn't want to take that away. He loved to see her smile.

"No, why do you ask?"

Charisma immediately frowned. "There's something upsetting you. Don't try and deny that. We've all seen it…Misa, Goten, and me…"

"Nothing is bothering me. I guess…" Trunks felt like he wanted to tell her what he was thinking, but still didn't feel like now was the right time. "It's just a little weird to see you with someone again. It makes me uncomfortable."

"Oh, you mean Mace?" Charisma blushed and smiled at him. "Don't worry about him."

"I know you're really happy with him," he said and looked away from him. His eyes slowly met with hers again. "It makes me happy…"

Charisma grinned affectionately. "Thank you. Your support means everything to me. And like I said, you don't have to worry about Mace at all. He's amazing, and very sweet, polite, intelligent…" Charisma held her hand over her heart and giggled. She looked up at Trunks to see him staring straight ahead at the television with a blush on his cheeks. Charisma knocked on her head playfully. "I'm sorry! I'm supposed to say these things to Misa, not you, Trunks! I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable. I know you're always trying your best to look out for me."

Trunks looked at her and smiled. Charisma grinned back and wrapped her arms around him. Trunks gasped and felt the blush on his cheeks burn brighter.

'Charisma…' Trunks thought to himself. 'Why must you do this to me? This must be my punishment for never being honest with my feelings…I'm sorry.'

Charisma let go of Trunks and looked up at him. She noticed the conflict that lingered in his eyes and frowned. "Trunks…are you okay?"

Trunks looked down at her but avoid eye contact. "I'm fine…"

Charisma looked down at her watch and gasped. "Oh my, it's already seven! I have to go. I promised to help my mom with the laundry. I'll see you tomorrow at school…" Trunks nodded and walked Charisma to the door.

"We can walk together tomorrow, okay?" she added as she stepped outside and looked back at Trunks.

Trunks smiled and nodded his head. "Sure."

Charisma giggled and waved her hand as she jogged away towards her house. "See ya!"

Trunks waved back and watched as she made it home and entered the house. A sense of disappointment washed over him as he shut the door.


	17. I'll Stand By You

_Author's Note: _Shoot! It's been forever since I last updated! I'm so sorry! I've been so busy with work and school, but mostly work. :( But I finally managed to finish this chapter! I just had so many ideas that it was hard to write them down, and a little bit of writer's block. I don't know who's still with me, but for those readers who are still here, thanks, and I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 17:

I'll Stand by You

"Just three months and that's it!" Goten said happily as he marched through the halls with his friends. Trunks, Misa, Charisma, and Mace followed along. "Graduation is just around the corner."

"Surprisingly, I'm not so happy about that," Misa said gloomily as she hung her head.

"Why?" Charisma asked sympathetically. "You've been raving about the end of school since before school even began!"

"It's just that I don't know what I'm gonna do afterward," she replied. "You know, my parents are big on the college thing…"

"Yeah…" Charisma nodded but smiled. "You'll be fine. As time goes by, you'll find something that you love to do."

"I suppose," Misa smiled back. Charisma felt Mace gently grab her hand and smiled up at him. He grinned back down at her.

"What is it?" she asked as her smile grew.

"It's nothing," he replied and wrapped an arm around her. She giggled and felt herself blushing. Even though they had been dating for a few months already she still couldn't help but act so coyly when she was around him.

Trunks rolled his eyes and quickly walked right past the couple. "Excuse me," he mumbled.

For a while now, Trunks found it almost unbearable to hang out around Charisma and Mace. Seeing them holding hands or hugging each other, and moments when they seemed couldn't keep their hands off each other, almost made him sick. Ever since they began dating Mace had been tagging along with the four friends. Trunks had a feeling, however, that Mace was hanging out with them to please Charisma. Charisma was a smart girl but sometimes her honest feelings made her somewhat naïve. A few of Charisma's past boyfriends had tried to take advantage of that and Trunks wasn't willing to allow it again.

At times like this when he felt that Charisma was blinded by her feelings, though, he felt somewhat annoyed with her. At the same time he held a special kind of admiration her for this and he felt it was his responsibility to protect her. Charisma eyes followed Trunks as it made his way down the hall. Mace stared down at her.

"I wonder what's bothering him," he said. He noticed the look worry in her eyes and shook his head. "Don't worry about him. He'll be fine."

Misa and Goten shook their heads at the same time as they exchanged a knowing glance.

"It looks like something is bothering him again," Goten said as he came up closer to Charisma.

"You should probably talk to him," suggested Misa. "You're the only person who can really get through to him. He always gets really cranky with me and Goten."

Charisma nodded her head. "Okay, I'll talk to him after school." Mace sighed and shook his head.

"Let's get going to class. We're going to be late," he recommended. The group agreed and they quickly headed off to their classes.

**...**

Trunks didn't come around his friends for almost the entire day. He even decided to walk home by himself without telling anybody.

"Now I know something is bothering him," Goten grumbled and crossed his arms. "I wonder why he has to be so cranky all the time."

"It's just in his nature, I guess," Misa shrugged and turned to Charisma. "I'm starting to worry about him."

Charisma sighed and nodded her head with a sad face. "I have to talk to him. I have a feeling I might have upset him in some way."

"What makes you say that?" asked Mace.

"He seems to be the most annoyed when I'm around him," replied Charisma as her frown deepened. "I don't know what I did, but I don't like having him upset at me."

"I see," he responded and crossed his arms.

Charisma thought to herself as the four teens made their way out through the main gate. She suddenly stopped in her place and nodded to herself. "I think I know how to get to the bottom of this, you guys," she said.

"Huh?"

"Go ahead home without me," she simply said. "I'll see you guys later."

"What do plan on doing?" asked Mace, slightly surprised and a bit suspicious.

"Just something that'll get him to start talking to me a bit more," she explained. "You'll see! He'll be good as new!" Charisma turned around and ran down the street like a flash of light. Misa, Goten, and Mace stared after her with confused looks.

"I don't know what she's planning," Goten finally said, interrupting the silence. "But I trust her, especially when it comes to handling Trunks."

"Me too!" Misa smiled and turned to the guys. "Let's just get going." She waved at Mace and walked off with Goten. "See ya on Monday, Mace!"

Mace put on a smile and waved at the pair. "See you…"

…

Meanwhile, Charisma finally stopped running and began walking. 'Now that I really think about it, Trunks and I haven't been hanging out together like we used to,' she thought. 'I know we never really did much alone, but I know he cares about me as a friend so he doesn't trust Mace very much. It's nice to know he cares about me like that…so maybe if we hang out some time he'll cheer up and see that I really appreciate him. I hope he says yes!'

Charisma stopped walking and took a deep breath. She became still as she tried to sense Trunks' power level from which ever distance he was. He definitely wasn't at home, she could tell.

'There he is!' Charisma thought cheerfully. She levitated off the ground and headed towards the direction. Her blue eyes studied the city below until she spotted that familiar head of purple hair.

"Hey you!" she called to him and waved her hand as she landed perfectly at his side.

Trunks was snapped out of his private thoughts and stared down at her. "Why are you following me?" he growled.

Charisma's smile disappeared. "What do you mean? I only just found you. You took off so suddenly and without a word. I was worried…"

"Don't be ridiculous. There's nothing to worry about…"

"That's what you think," Charisma said as she shook her head. "You give me a lot to worry about."

Trunks grumbled as he unfolded his arms from in front of his chest and placed his fists into his black pockets. Charisma sighed sadly and stopped walking in her place. She quickly turned around and lowered her head. Trunks gasped and turned around to look at her as she made her way up the street, kicking her feet along the cement sidewalk like a pouting child.

"Charisma…" he whispered.

The girl remained silent and continued walking up the street.

"Charisma, wait!" Trunks called out to her. His glowering face faded into a shade of worry.

Charisma stopped in her place and looked back at him only slightly, tilting her chin up once their eyes met with a look of anger in her eyes, half shielded by her wavy blonde bangs. Silently, she ran off and rounded the nearest corner and out of Trunks' sight.

"Wait!" he called to her again. After a few seconds, Trunks sighed softly to himself and shook his head. "I guess I really do have a problem…" The sound of a shrieking voice, screaming in horror, suddenly pierced through the silent neighborhood. Trunks felt his blood run cold once his recognized that voice.

"Charisma!" he shouted and powered up before darting like a missile towards her direction. 'Damn it, where is she?' he mentally and frantically asked herself. 'I can't sense her power level!'

Trunks suddenly stopped flying in his place once he caught sight of the back of an orange uniform and a blonde head of hair. "Charisma!" he called out to her and flew towards her once again, worry laced in his voice. He grabbed her by the wrist and quickly turned her around to face him. "Charisma, what's wrong?"

Charisma turned around to face him with the sweetest smile on her face, sweet enough to make Trunk's cheeks burn red, despite the fact that his adrenaline was still pumping.

"You came," she smiled with twinkling eyes and laced her arm around his. Trunks' feet touched the ground once again and he walked alongside her, with a look of complete confusion on his face. "Hey, you wanna go get pizza or something? It's been a while since we've hung out together…just the two of us, I mean!"

"…Charisma," Trunks said lowly. "Why did you scream like that?"

Charisma stared up at him with eyes glinting playfully. She simply smiled as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. "Oh, no reason!"

"W-what?"

"Come on!" Charisma tugged at his arm to keep him moving. "I'm hungry!"

Trunks silently followed and scratched his head a few times before letting out a sigh. "You're all right though, aren't you?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I be? I'm not like other girls, remember?" she winked up at him.

Trunks' blush never escaped his cheeks, but he nodded his head and smiled with relief. "Yeah…

**...**

"I think it's sad that we never get to hang out anymore," Charisma said as the two friends began walking towards the park across the street from the pizzeria. The meal was silent for the most part. Charisma tried to initiate conversation but Trunks remained slightly distant and aloof, as usual. "In fact, I feel like we've never been able to hang out like this. That's why I wanted to look for you. I don't want to lose you…"

Trunks sighed and looked down at Charisma. A feeling of regret flashed before his eyes and he shook his head. "I'm sorry about all this…"

"Huh?"

"There's nothing wrong with you. You're a great friend. Sometimes, I wonder if I ever deserve to know someone like you."

Charisma blushed and lowered her eyes to the ground coyly. "Really?"

"Yeah," he replied, pausing for a moment before speaking up again. "I just feel that…it's my responsibility to protect you…I want to protect you."

"Why? From what?" she asked and looked back up at him. "I'm not a little girl anymore…besides, who in their right mind would mess with me? I've been hanging out with you and Goten for my whole life. I'd feel sorry for that person, you know!"

Trunks smiled but shook his head gently. The look in his eyes almost instantly caused Charisma's face to turn red and her heartbeat to speed up. "That's not what I mean."

"What do you mean…?"

"There are people in this world who aren't what they seem. They can hurt you more than even any creature from outer space can…"

Charisma felt confused for a second but understood what he meant. "You mean you don't want Mace to take advantage of me, right?"

"…I don't want anyone to hurt you."

Charisma wiped her hands on a napkin before staring down at them. "Is that why you're so grumpy all the time? Why can't you just accept it? I know you're always there for me and you want to help me, and I appreciate that very much. But I also want you to understand that I can't just be alone my whole life and never get married or anything just because you want to protect me."

Trunks gasped at the word 'marriage.' He never really imagined Charisma getting married and the realization shocked him a bit, as if her marriage were really impossible.

Charisma looked up at him. "You have to let me do what I have to do, make my own mistakes and learn on my own. Otherwise, I won't be strong enough to go through life. I don't want…to live my life and realize at the end of it that I've done nothing. I want to experience all the things life has to offer. So I want you…to always be there but…I don't want you to make it difficult for me, you understand?"

Trunks sighed and nodded his head. He felt anger coil in the pit of his stomach but swallowed at it and suppressed it. He knew that what she said was true and he didn't want to stand in the way of her happiness. But still…

An uncomfortable silence fell between them for a few minutes before Charisma stood up off her seat. She smiled down at Trunks when he gazed up at her.

"Hey!" she said with a cheerful voice. "Let's go do something!"

Trunks remained in his place for a second and finally stood up. "What do you have in mind?"

"I don't know," she said and stretched lazily. "Let's just go to the park and relax. It seems we're always working on something or training."

**...**

Charisma removed her loafers once the two entered the park. She loved the feeling of grass under her toes and sighed contently at a gentle breeze.

"Do you remember…how we always used to come here?" she asked Trunks.

Trunks nodded his head. "Yeah…with Goten and Misa."

"We would play hide and seek until dark when your mom would come looking for us," Charisma added nostalgically. She jogged a few paces away from Trunks and grabbed a red ball that sat in the middle of the field.

"I remember you always wanted to spar with me, but our parents refused to let us," Trunks chuckled as he approached her. Charisma turned around to look at him and giggled.

"But we did it anyway!" she laughed. "Surprisingly, I don't think I ever lost to you."

"Don't get so confident!" Trunks chuckled and crossed his arms, sharing a smile with her. "I felt bad for you because you're only a human girl and so I let you win on purpose."

Charisma's mouth fell open but she laughed about it. "That's so mean! I really thought I was strong like you guys…"

Trunks remained silent for a while before replying. His eyes softly met with hers and he took a deep breath. "You were…and you still are…"

Charisma eyes softened as she smiled at him. "Thank you. It means a lot to me, especially coming from you." She sighed and turned around. Tossing the red ball into the air, she began hitting it up back up into the sky each time it came back down to her.

'I haven't truly realized this until now…' Charisma thought to herself as she played with the ball. '…I'm really lucky to have known Trunks and Goten for my whole life. To have friends that I know I'll have forever…I know that I'll never be alone. And I feel like now I might finally have a better friendship with Trunks!'

Charisma was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even realize that the ball hadn't come back down from the sky yet. She stood there frozen in her place until it dawned on her. She let out a gasp and looked around, completely bewildered, until she looked up into the air. Trunks was a few feet above her, levitating in the sky, with the red ball in his hands and a playful smirk on his face. Charisma gasped again and pouted childishly. She sighed and her shoulders fell slightly as slowly flew up towards him.

"Hey!" she said cheerfully with a happy smile. She immediately reached out to grab it back. "Thanks for catching the ball…!" She nearly fell over and looked up at Trunks. He held the ball up high over his head. Charisma growled and attempted to grab it again, only to have him pull it away from her again. This continued a few times until Charisma was honestly becoming annoyed.

Her ears fumed like chimneys and she could fell her blood pressure rising. "Gimme the ball!" she whined and quickly lunged at Trunks. He suddenly disappeared and left her looking dazed and irritated.

"I'm getting tired of this!" she exclaimed as she whizzed around in the air frantically. "Don't make me go after you!" She screamed suddenly when he appeared behind her and managed to startle her. She turned around to face him and he quickly moved back to a safe distance.

"Oh, is that a threat?" he said with an amused tone while tossing the ball in between his hands. "I'm not scared."

Charisma tightened her fists at her sides and grumbled.

"I dare you to come after me if you want it back," Trunks announced as his smirk grew wider. "If you can catch me!"

"You're such a child!" she groaned and crossed her arms. "But fine! I'll do it! You better run fast or else you'll be sorry!"

"We'll see!" Trunks said before taking off up higher into the sky. Charisma gasped and immediately followed.

"You cheater! You got a head start!"

"You know I never play by the rules!" he shouted back.

Charisma grumbled and went faster. 'Honestly, he hasn't changed a bit since then!' Her mind flashed with the images of her childhood.

**...**

"_You can't catch me!"_

_Charisma was really getting upset. She would've cried if only she knew that Trunks wouldn't laugh like a barbarian. It got on her nerves that he loved picking on her so much._

_Charisma's mother decided to leave her daughter at Bulma's house for the day in order to take care of some errands. Trunks was feeling really bored and decided to grab one of Charisma's favorite dolls that was snug within her back pack. Charisma didn't care much until he threatened to blast it to pieces. She hated being a tattle tale and run to Bulma. Trunks would definitely tease her much more if she did that! Instead, she figured it was in her best interest to try and get it back as Trunks had demanded._

_Trunks ran around the back yard like a bolt of lightening and Charisma could barely keep up. She tried to keep herself from gasping for breath to not show her weakness. Trunks could easily see through her, though._

"_You're so slow! Tired already?" Trunks teased, looking back and jumping over a trash can at the same time._

"_You dummy!" Charisma cried, crashing right through the same trash can and knocking it over. "Oww!"_

"_Did that hurt?"_

"_Shut up!"_

'_I'll never catch up to him this way!' Charisma thought to herself. 'And I'm getting really tired! If only…' Charisma suddenly came up with a plan._

_Trunks continued running and bantering about Charisma's slow speed until he turned around and didn't see her there. He stopped in his place and searched for her with his eyes. _

"_Charisma!" he called out to her. "Charisma? You better not have given up on me, or else…"_

"_GOTCHA!" _

_Trunks gasped and looked up only to suddenly feel a harsh weight land on his body. He groaned loudly and opened his eyes to find himself on the ground with Charisma staring down at him. His own smirk was now on her little face._

"_I win!" she giggled. "Now you have to do what I want or else I'll tell your mommy!"_

_Trunks groaned and grudgingly agreed to do what she wanted. "Fine!"_

_He dusted himself off and stood up from the ground. "What is it?"_

"_PIGGY BACK!" Charisma jumped on his back and giggled. "I want a ride around the house, three times!"_

_**...**_

Charisma kept her eyes focused on Trunks' position in front of her. He didn't bother looking back at her much, assuming that she'd be far behind.

"You really have gotten slow! You still haven't caught me!" he teased with a sneer. The moment he turned around, he could only see a blur in front of his eyes and gasped. He looked around only to catch more glimpses of that same blur. "What the…he-!"

Before he could even finish his sentence, he was felt a sudden force tackle him, binding his arms together and sending him to the floor. He was ready to shout a curse into the heavens until he saw Charisma's face smiling smugly above him. Maybe it was the glow of the orange sunset or maybe it was just her, but he suddenly felt the air escaping from his lungs with no intention of returning. Trunks wasn't sure but knew that being this close to her made certain emotions rise to the surface.

"I win!" she said confidently. "Your weakness is that you always pay too much attention to me…" Trunks felt himself blush even harder. He hated blushing so much but knew it was impossible to hide it. Charisma, being the always oblivious girl she was, thought he might have just been embarrassed about getting caught. She had no idea how true that statement really was, and the truth was starting to slow sink into Trunks' hard head.

'I know I can be a jerk sometimes…a lot of times. I've always hated talking about my feelings…I hate it. But with you…I find it so hard to hide…impossible to hide my feelings. I even hate you for it sometimes…but…'

Charisma giggled to herself and stood up. She grabbed the ball off the ground and turned around to look at Trunks. "Well, are you planning on sleeping there?"

Trunks caught his breath and got on his feet only to feel the red ball smack him on the top of his head and bounce off and away. Charisma laughed childishly and smiled at him. He couldn't stop the smile that tugged at him.

"You lost to me…" Charisma bantered as she got closer to him. "You know what that means, don't you?"

"You won't let me forget it for the rest of our lives, am I right?"

Charisma put on a thoughtful face and smiled. "Well, duh, but…" She disappeared suddenly, and before Trunks knew what was going on, he suddenly felt her weight on his back and could hear her soft voice ringing closely to his ear. A shiver ran down his spine at the contact. "A FREE RIDE FOR ME!"

Trunks turned his head to look at her and smiled. "You know I hate doing this…but I guess I can do it just this once…"

Charisma smiled back. "Oh, shut up!" she said playfully. "I can definitely convince you to give me a ride! Anyway, let's get going! It's getting dark!"

**...**

The flight to the house was silent for the most part and the sky was now dark. Trunks didn't know what to say at the moment, though his mind was racing with a million different thoughts. He landed in front of Charisma's front door and looked back her.

"Hey, we're here…" he gasped when he realized that she had fallen asleep. "…she must've used up a lot of energy trying to catch me…dummy…"

Trunks considered knocking on the door and calling her parents but was surprised when a crazy idea suddenly lit up inside his head. 'I really don't want to wake her…' he thought to himself. 'I'll call her parents when I get home and explain.'

Trunks went around to the side of the house and flew up towards Charisma's bedroom window. Luckily for him, it was open and he managed to get through it and into the house without waking Charisma.

He walked up to her bed and sat. Carefully letting her fall backwards on to the bed, Trunks stood up and positioned her so she could sleep properly. The room was warm and he decided it wasn't necessary to tuck her in.

"You really do sleep like a baby…if only you were so quiet when you're awake," he said with a chuckle. His eyes studied her soft features and he smiled to himself.

"Goodnight, Strawberry…" he whispered softly. Trunks turned off the lights to the room and sat at the edge of the window. "…see ya…" He could see her turn over in her sleep and sigh groggily.

He pulled himself from his thoughts and exited the house to head to his own home. A few minutes passed before Charisma's eyes slowly opened. She sat up quickly and was startled at first when she couldn't remember where she was. It took her a moment to realize that she was in her dark bedroom and sighed contently.

"Trunks must've dropped me off…" she sleepily told herself. She sighed again and lay back down with a soft smile as she shut her eyes. "Thank you…"

* * *

_Finally finished! I wanted to try implementing some TrunksxCharisma without doing to much. I think I like how it ended, compared to how I planned on ending it. Now I'm ready to start the next chapter! Got lots of ideas for that, too! Hint: You'll get to really see what kind of a guy Mace is! :) Please let me know what you think and thanks a bunch for reading!_


	18. Breakage

_Author's Note:_ Hello everyone! It's been a while since I last updated, I'm sorry about that. I've been so busy with work that I've barely had any time for myself :( But that's all right! I finally got over my writer's block and managed to get this chapter out! Some pretty exciting things are going to happen here and for the next chapter. I've got it all planned out already! If there are any spelling errors or any other kind of errors please feel free to let me know. I read over it a few times, but I'm just so ready to get it posted that I might have over looked something. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! I promise the next chapter will come in sometime within the next month. Thanks!

_Chapter 18:_

_Breakage_

On this breezy Monday morning, Charisma stood in front of her house with Misa. Trunks and Goten decided to go on ahead to school while Charisma and Misa insisted on waiting for Mace. Usually, Mace was the one who had to wait for Charisma, seeing as how she spent nearly all morning getting ready.

"This is so strange," Charisma said with a pout. "Mace is never late to school…"

"Maybe he just overslept," Misa said calmly. "Or maybe he's sick…have you talked to him?"

"I haven't talk to him since Saturday night," Charisma replied and put on a worried expression and looked down to the ground. "I'm starting to get worried…"

Misa shook her head and smiled assumingly. "He probably is sick. Let's just get going to school before we end up late."

Charisma wanted to protest. She didn't want to leave without seeing him first to make sure he was really feeling all right, but quickly realized that she shouldn't be late for school.

With a sigh, Charisma reluctantly agreed and began heading towards school with Misa.

"If he's feeling fine, then we'll see him there later," Misa insisted in an attempt to make her best friend feel better. "If not, then you can just stop by his house or call him after school."

Charisma nodded and smiled at Misa and finally felt her spirits lift slightly. "You're right. I'm sure I'll get to talk to him later!"

…

The bells of school were ringing just as Charisma and Misa entered the crowded hallways of the main building. Charisma shuffled towards her locker when she finally caught sight of a familiar leather jacket. A smile melted into her face and she turned to Misa.

"Hey, there he is!" Charisma said happily and ran over towards Mace. Charisma came to a quick stop once she reached his side. His face was still buried in his locker as he fumbled for his books as if he'd yet realized her presence. "Mace, I've been so worried! Where have you been?"

Mace sighed loudly and quickly slammed the locker door. The sound reverberated through the halls louder than anything and caught the attention of other students. Charisma jumped at the sudden noise and immediately felt that something was up.

"Mace…is something wrong?" she carefully asked. He simply turned away from Charisma and began heading down the hallway. Charisma stared after him in shock and felt her shoulders fall. She frowned and knew instantly that something was definitely wrong.

Charisma walked quickly to follow close behind Mace and pouted once she was right behind him. "You're upset with me…why? Did I do something? What's wrong? Please tell me! How am I supposed to make it better if I don't know what I did wrong?"

Mace stopped walking and turned around to face Charisma. "Stop acting so innocent. You know what's going on." His loud voice caught the attention of other students who were passing by. As expected, a few of them pretended to mess with their lockers while listening in and the others gave passing glances as they made their way towards class. "It's been happening all along and I've been stupid to not accept it since then…I never thought you'd do this…"

Charisma was silent for a moment but her eyes were frozen and opened wide. After a few seconds, it began to hit her and Charisma felt a lump grow on her throat but swallowed at it until it went away. She hated feeling as helpless as she did now; not knowing what was happening or how she could stop it. "What are you talking about?"

Mace groaned angrily and turned around to continue walking. "Forget it…just leave me alone…"

Charisma watched in disbelief as he disappeared into the crowds. She growled to herself in frustration. She leaned back against the lockers with a loud thud and placed her head into her hands. Misa gasped and quickly rushed over to her side.

"What was that about?" she asked softly.

"I don't know…" Charisma said sadly and lifted her head slowly but kept her eyes on the ground. "I don't know what I did. He won't even tell me…"

Misa crossed her arms and glared at Mace's direction. "What a jerk! He could've at least waited until you two were in private instead of putting on a show!" Misa shook her head but tried to cheer Charisma up. She laced her arm within Charisma's and tugged at it gently. "Come on, girl. Let's get going to class!"

At the moment, all Charisma wanted to do was just head home and not return. She knew that was not possible, though, and all she wanted to do was find Mace again and figure out what was going on. But instead, she took a deep breath and tried to smile at Misa. "Okay…"

…

At first period class, Mace sat at the empty seat of another absent classmate. Charisma couldn't help but feel bad about it. This was the first time she'd had problems with him since the two began dating. She told herself that it might be best to give him room to cool off before she attempted talking with him again.

Trunks immediately felt the unusual air of sadness that exuded from Charisma. Seeing how distant Mace was at the moment also began to make Trunks worry a bit. He never tried to meddle in affair pertaining to Charisma and Mace, for more reasons that he would admit out loud. But now, he felt that he couldn't just ignore that obvious feeling of sadness that Charisma was emanating. It bothered him and he really couldn't stand it anymore.

"Hey," Trunks softly whispered to Charisma. "Is everything all right?"

Charisma took a deep breath and turned to him with a reassuring smile. "Yeah. Don't worry about me. Everything's fine."

Trunks locked his eyes as hers and could tell that she wasn't really all right. She always tried to be strong but her true feelings always broke through.

Charisma broke the gaze and turned her attention back to the teacher. From the corner of his eye, Trunks noticed the harsh look Mace was staring at them. Trunks felt his blood boiling and glared right back but with a stronger look of loathing.

'I won't get involved… But I'm gonna keep my eye on you…'

During lunchtime, the four usual friends sat together. Goten and Misa carried on with their customary happy and strange conversations. Charisma would usually be involved whole heartedly but today, she was very quiet and kept to herself. She didn't even touch her food. She didn't feel very hungry right now. She simply played with her fork and stirred the food around with a dazed look in her eyes, not even realizing what she was doing.

Misa and Goten immediately stopped talking once they noticed this. Misa hadn't told Trunks or Goten about what happened. She figured that the probably wouldn't understand and it'd be best if Charisma told them herself.

"What's with you?" Goten asked Charisma. She didn't hear him at all and her eyes remained blank.

"Charisma!" Misa called out. Charisma remained lost in her thoughts until Trunks tapped her shoulder and startled her.

"Oh…" she finally said. "What is it?"

The four friends stared at each other with blank looks.

"I'm sorry…were you guys talking to me?"

"There's definitely something wrong with you," Goten said and leaned towards her across the lunch table. "What's up?"

"Nothing…it's nothing you guys…"

"You've been acting funny all day," Trunks said and shook his head. "You're not the same person today."

Charisma sighed sadly and shook her head. "I'm sorry…"

"You know, you can tell us anything…" Goten said gently. "We're not just stupid guys who don't know anything about girls. We're your friends…your best friends. You can count on us no matter what."

Trunks didn't say anything but smiled at Charisma and she almost felt as if her sadness had lifted. That feeling lasted for only a second, though, as she took a deep breath and told them about what had happened in the morning with Mace.

"Jerk!" Goten spat and looked over at the table were Mace lunched with a few of his other friends. "Don't worry about him. He'll realize his mistake and try talking to you again."

"Yeah, he's right!" Misa added confidently.

Trunks remained silent until Charisma looked towards him. Her eyes were hopeful and somewhat cheerful. She was like a child who was seeking reassurance from everyone in order to not be so afraid.

"Yeah," Trunks nodded and smiled at her. Charisma cheered up and grinned back.

"Thanks!" she said happily to her friends. "I'm not going to be sad anymore. Whatever happens…it'll be okay!"

…

Charisma did her best to keep smiling through out the day and did well until it was time to go home. The last bell rang through the school and students began racing out of their classes and to their lockers.

"I'm so excited!" Misa said happily and the four friends walked out of the building and head to the outer gates. "Our senior trip is going to be so much fun! The oceans, the carnival games, the boardwalk…"

"The girls!" Goten enthusiastically exclaimed.

Misa glared at him and frowned. "Is that all you ever think about?"

Charisma laughed to herself and smiled up at Trunks. "It's going to be fun! You're coming along with us, right?"

Trunks nodded and smiled back at her. "Of course. I know I missed the last field trip but I'm not going to miss this one. This is the last trip we're taking as students of this high school, isn't it?"

Charisma's smile became sad. "Yeah…I can't believe four years have gone by already…"

"Hey, don't be so gloomy!" Misa said cheerfully. "After high school, our real adventures begin!"

The friends agreed and began to near the gate when Charisma spotted Mace's car at the other end of the street. She saw him approaching it and stopped in her place. Her friends had continued walking along without noticing that she wasn't even there with them.

"Hey, guys," she said to them. "Go on ahead. I'm going to stay here and wait for Mace."

Misa spun around furiously and shook her head. "No! That jerk doesn't deserve your time! Let him approach you first!"

"But I can't stand this…" Charisma protested and began heading off. "I can't stand not knowing what's going on." She turned her head to smile at her friends. "I'll be fine. I'm just going to get to the bottom of this problem and deal with it myself. I'll get him to talk."

"But…!"

"Come on! I want to know whether or not…we'll be spending our trip together…that's all…" Charisma saw Mace talking with a few of his friends by his car. "…Our trip is Friday, right? If we don't talk to each other by then, I miss out on making some nice memories with him."

Misa and Goten exchanged a glance. Trunks sighed and nodded his head and simply turned around to head home.

"Just let her," Trunks mumbled lowly. "It's her decision to make…"

"We can't argue with that," Goten agreed and grabbed Misa's arm to drag her along. "Come on!"

Misa looked regretful but followed along. "If anything happens, just call me!" she shouted.

Charisma smiled at her and headed towards Mace's car with a deep breath. After saying farewell to his friends, Mace began getting into his car. Charisma dashed over beside his red convertible.

"Mace!" she called out his name. He lifted his head to look at her and growled.

"I told you not to talk to me," he said, his voice low but angrily.

"What _is_ the problem?" she asked him. "Can you at least answer me?"

Mace inserted the car keys into the ignition and started the car. Charisma was becoming angry now, too. She crossed her arms in order to restrain herself from shattering his beloved car into pieces of scrap metal.

Mace opened the door, nearly hitting Charisma in the process with it, and stepped out of the car. He pulled out his cell phone and held it in front of her eyes. Charisma stared at it bewildered for a second until she realized what she was seeing. It was a picture from the other day when Charisma and Trunks were hanging out in the park. And the timing couldn't have been any worse, seeing as how the two were in a compromising position on the ground.

"Where the hell did you get that?" Charisma cried and attempted to grab the cell phone before Mace pulled it away.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is that now I know what kind of girl you really are," he grumbled. "I thought I could trust you. But this whole time you've been making a fool out of me with your best friend. I can't believe I didn't see this coming!"

"You're stupid!" Dropping her arms to her sides, Charisma shouted and got up in his face. "Nothing is going on between us! Nothing ever has! He's my best friend! I've known him since were kids and there have always been rumors because we've always been together but that's all they are! Rumors!"

"Then how do you explain this picture?"

"I have nothing to explain. Nothing was going on. We were playing around like we always do. Who ever you had spying us must have taken the picture when we had fallen. But we're only friends. That's all we've ever been!"

Mace took a deep breath and crossed his arms. "If that's true…then I want you to prove it before I can trust you again."

Charisma nodded her head. "Fine. What do you want?"

"I want you to break off your friendship with him…"

Charisma gasped but shook her head. "Of course not! I'm not going to do that! He's my best friend, ever since I can remember. I could never do that."

"Fine, if you refuse, then it's over between us…"

Charisma stared up at him in disbelief. The look in his eyes made it obvious that he wasn't just bluffing.

"If that's that case, then let it be. We're over!" Charisma screamed back at him and began heading off. "I'll never put friends or family over anyone or anything in this world. So go ahead and find yourself another girl if that's what you want! I'll never do what you want!"

Charisma stormed off past the crowd of students that had been watching the entire scene unfold. She ignored them until she made it through the stares and a familiar girl caught her eye.

"Enjoy, Charisma," she sneered.

"Aracelle…" Charisma stopped in her place and glared at her. "Whatever…" Charisma held her head up high and continued on. She didn't at all notice the pair of blue eyes that hovered up above her in the sky.

…

Charisma didn't consider going home at all for now. She figured a little piece of mind was necessary at least for the rest of the afternoon or until the sunset. She walked into a city park on her way down the busy city. She took a seat on a bench quietly an empty area over looking a nearby pond.

'Why does it always come to this?' Charisma thought to herself. 'It doesn't matter what I do. In the end, they always remind me of him…'

Charisma giggled to herself shyly. 'If only that could happen…but nothing will ever progress between us. I guess…there's nothing else I can do but keep moving forward. Maybe someday I'll find someone who's not so insecure…'

Charisma stood up and walked along the edge of the lake. 'It's ridiculous. But it would be nice…' She lifted her head and stared into the seemingly eternal blue sky. She shut her eyes at the soft breeze that blue in the scent of the crisp waters. 'Someday…'

Charisma took a deep breath and opened her eyes. "I guess I'd better head home…"

Her feet levitated off the ground and she flew off to her house. By the time she arrived there, the sun was already starting to set and the blue sky had faded into pinkish orange. She made sure to take her time. It was going to be a long lonely night for sure. For the past few months since she had been with Mace, the two would text each other back and forth throughout the night until either one fell asleep.

Not tonight…Charisma sighed sadly and landed in front of the fence to her house. Her loafers dragged against the cement as she made her way up the front door. Before she could lift her hand to reach for her keys, Charisma immediately felt a familiar presence.

'Trunks…' she mentally said his name.

Trunks landed a short distance behind Charisma and stood there silently. Charisma didn't turn around. She didn't want to…she didn't want to face him or show him that she was sad. She didn't quite understand why, but she hated showing those signs of weakness to him.

"…So…you two are over?"

Charisma's head lowered at his question. "How do you know?" she replied.

Trunks hesitated before answering. "…I saw you…I saw what happened…I thought something funny was up…"

Charisma shut her eyes. Normally, she would be annoyed by someone listening to her conversations and spying on her. When Trunks did it, however, she couldn't be angry at all. Instead, she took it as a sign that he really did care about her, even though he didn't say it much.

"Funny…yeah…" she chuckled sadly. "Funny how everyone keeps thinking we're together…"

Trunks blushed and was hoping Charisma wouldn't turn around to see it. "…Yup…"

"Why is that?"

"I…don't know…I can't imagine why…"

Charisma giggled and turned around to face him.

"It's okay to be sad for a little bit…"

Charisma gasped at his words. He never said anything like that. Was she imagining it?

"The look in your eyes…says that you're hurt about it, so don't keep it all to yourself…it'll only hurt you more. if you need anyone to talk to, I'm here…"

Charisma felt tears well up in her eyes, but they weren't of sadness. She turned back around to hide them and nodded her head. "Thank you…Trunks…I know I can always count on you." She smiled wholeheartedly to herself. "I'll be fine…as long as you're here…"

Trunks sighed and nodded his head. "I better get going…"

"Okay…" Charisma peered at him from over her shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow…"

Trunks smiled at her and took a few steps before pausing and looking back at her. "…Oh yeah, and…thanks…for being a good friend."

Charisma wondered what he meant but suddenly remembered when he smiled at her. "Don't thank me! I would never turn my back on you…ever!"

"I know…thanks…" Trunks began heading off again. "Good night!"

Charisma waved happily at him. Today started off uneasily and seemingly got worse. But this moment was just enough for Charisma to sleep soundly that night.


	19. Turn to You

_Author's Note:_ Hey, look out your window! Pigs are flying! I updated twice in one month! :D Well, after getting threatened by a dear friend/loyal reader, my writer's block disappeared and my ideas spilled forth! Sometimes a threat is just what you need to feel inspired, so thanks for that! Enjoy!

_Chapter 19:_

_Turn to You_

It was another usual day at school for Charisma and her friends. It had been two days since Charisma had that terrible incident with Mace and the break up had happened. She hadn't spoken to him since then and hadn't seen him outside of class.

Luckily for her, Mace asked to have his seats reassigned to avoid any awkwardness and uneasiness. At the same time, it saddened her. She knew it was really over and didn't know if it would ever be okay again, even if they could only be friends.

"Today is another day…" Misa said half-heartedly. "More lessons, lectures, tests…oh, I can't wait till three o'clock." She laughed to herself and looked over at Charisma to her right.

Charisma sighed dejectedly. "Yeah…"

"Hey, cheer up!" Misa said with a kind grin. "Only two days left until our big trip, remember? We're gonna have lots of fun and make lots of memories! Don't let anything or anyone ruin that, okay?"

Charisma looked at her and smiled back. "You're right! It's gonna be the four of us!" Charisma twirled around to smile at Goten at Trunks as they followed closed behind the girls. "We're all going to be together, so of course we'll have a great time!"

Once she turned to face forward again, Goten hurried over and wrapped an arm around each girls' shoulder.

"Can you imagine?" he said almost breathlessly. "The sun, the games, the food…and all those gorgeous girls in teeny weenie bikinis! I can't wait!"

Charisma chuckled nervously while Misa looked completely irritated. She tossed a glare at Goten before rolling her eyes.

"You know, you're so hopeless, Goten!" Misa peeled his arm off of her and quickly walked ahead.

"Huh?" Goten exchanged a glance with Charisma, who glowered at him.

"Good job! You upset her," Charisma scolded. "Go apologize! You know how she gets!"

Goten cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms, looking confused. But he figured that arguing with Charisma wouldn't help the matter anyway.

"Fine." He walked quickly to catch up to Misa. "Wait up!"

Charisma took a deep breath and turned around to join Trunks' side. "Sometimes, I don't know what to think about those two…"

"Really?" Trunks replied. "I _never_ know what to think of those two."

Charisma smiled to herself and laughed out loud at his statement. Eventually, Trunks laughed along as they watched Misa and Goten disappear in the distant halls.

The walk fell silent for a few moments apart from for the sound of footsteps, metallic lockers, and unruly students.

"How have you been?" Trunks asked in order to break the silence. There was a part of him that was genuinely worried about her feelings during the last few days.

Charisma looked up at him and shrugged. "I'm fine, actually. I'm feeling a lot better than I thought I would." Her uncertain gaze became her usual cheerful smile. "Thanks to you!"

Trunks averted eye contact and looked out the row of windows they were currently walking past. A blush crept across his face. 'Why must you say things like that?' he thought.

"And Misa, too, of course. And Goten, and Mom and Dad…everyone's been really supportive," she added. "I'm glad. I'm not lonely at all!"

Charisma's face contorted with confusion when she noticed that Trunks had suddenly become aloof. She peered at his face and noticed that he was blushing. She felt laughter building up in her stomach and happily let it ring out.

"Don't be so coy!" she chuckled and wrapped an arm around his waist. Her other hand grabbed the arm at his side and lifted it to rest on her shoulder. "We're best friends, right?"

Trunks looked down at her and forgot to hide his blush. Charisma looked up at him and blue eyes locked together. Her smile never faded and a light blush painted her cheeks, but it was nothing compared to the magnitude of his own blush.

'Why is my heart beating so fast?' he thought. 'Would I really be able to handle this?'

It had been many years since the two had shown affection publicly like this. A simple hug was all they would share occasionally to something a bit warmer during birthdays and holidays. But nothing like this. Within the last few years, a wall was somehow built in between them, and neither could understand why. And it made their feelings numb for all that time.

Mace's dark eyes glared at them from behind as he walked through the same hall towards the first class they shared. He growled as he picked up his pace and moved beside Trunks, bumping against his shoulder roughly as he passed.

Charisma and Trunks were startled and stopped walking to let go of each other. They remained in place and stared in shock at Mace. He quickly disappeared around the corner.

Trunks snarled and looked down to see Charisma staring after him. Her eyes glazed over with sadness and she frowned. Trunks' fists tightened at his sides and Charisma felt his power level jump again. He was just about to run after Mace until he felt Charisma's soft hand grasp on to his wrist and tug at it.

"Forget it."

Trunks turned around to look at her. "What?"

"It's not worth it," she said lifting her eyes to him and smiling. "Nothing happened, right?"

Trunks looked back at the direction in which Mace had gone. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes for a few seconds. Charisma's face remained hopefully and he nodded at her.

"Right." Trunks smiled back at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder again. "Let's go to class."

This time, Charisma was the one to blush and smiled to herself. "Thanks…"

…

The hallways were actually pretty empty at this time of day. It was noon and most students were either in class or at the cafeteria. Before heading off to lunch with her friends, Charisma decided to run off to the bathroom alone.

Charisma yawned lazily and scratched the back of her blonde head softly. "Is it time to go home yet? I'm so tired…"

Charisma was just about to round a corner when she heard a familiar voice. She stopped in her place and strained her ears to listen closely.

"It's…him…" she whispered to herself. She slowly approached the corner and leaned against the wall like an agent on a secret mission. She peered over the edge of the wall and saw Mace leaning against a locker just a few feet away. Much to her dismay, Charisma realized Aracelle, with her newly dyed red hair, chatting with Mace.

"That must've been awful!" Charisma could hear her syrupy voice say. "I'm so sorry about that."

"Yeah," Mace said. "But I'm a lot better now. And I'm glad that I can count on you. Thanks for everything. You've really helped me."

Aracelle grinned and batted her lashes. "Don't worry about it. I know what kind of person she is, remember? She's such a snake. A wolf in a sheep's disguise, I believe the saying goes."

Charisma covered her mouth to keep herself from cursing out loudly. 'Are they talking about me?' she asked herself. 'I know they are! I know it! And that saying is completely wrong! It's 'a wolf in sheep's clothing,' you idiot!'

"Yeah," Mace sighed sadly. "Hey, do you have any plans tonight?"

Aracelle blinked up at him as she played with her hair 'coyly'. "No, none at all. Why? Got something on your mind?"

Mace smiled at her handsomely. "Yeah…a lot of things. You wanna go do something? We can go out to eat or watch a movie at my place or something…"

With a victorious grin, Aracelle nodded. "That sounds good. I'll meet you at your car after school, okay?" Aracelle held out her hand, as if expecting a friendly handshake.

Mace grabbed that extended hand and planted a kiss on it. Charisma's hand remained in place over her mouth and she resisted the urge to walk over there and start problems.

"Let's have lunch together now, too. Are you in?" he asked.

"Totally!" Aracelle laced her arm around Mace's as they walked towards Charisma's direction.

'They're coming!' Charisma whispered in a panic. She retreated on the wall and looked for a place to hide. She noticed a student nearby opening his locker.

Mace and Aracelle continued their flirty conversation as they walked right past the student and his open locker. Charisma held her breath as she hid behind the open door and stared after them when they passed. Luckily, they hadn't noticed her at all.

Charisma took a deep breath and thanked the student for not blowing her cover and apologized for putting him in such a predicament. He simply stared at her with confusion and went on his way.

Charisma watched him leave and turned around to see Mace and Aracelle walking towards the other end of the building. She sighed and grabbed onto the chain around her neck. At the end of it she had attached the ring that Mace had given to her on her birthday. Charisma stared at the ring.

"Even after all that's happened, you still haven't lost your shine," Charisma said sadly. Her grasped it tightly in her fist and looked up at the empty space of the hall. She took a deep breath and went on to the cafeteria, too.

…

"What's taking her so long?" Misa whined. "If I have to keep listening to your talk about girls in swimsuits, Goten, I swear I'll stab you with my spork!"

Goten sweat dropped and slowly moved away from her and closer to the edge of his seat. "Now, now…" Goten looked up at the entrance. "THERE SHE IS!"

"Oh yeah! Finally!" Misa exclaimed as if she'd been saved.

Charisma stood at the entrance with a dazed look in her eyes.

"What is she doing?" Misa said and called out. "Charisma! Over here!"

Charisma snapped out of her trance and smiled. "Hey!" she walked over and took a seat across from Misa and beside Trunks.

Misa smiled at her. "Were you lost there, buddy?"

"Huh?"

"You looked like you didn't know where you were for a second." Misa grinned at her playfully. "Can't wait for Friday, right? Neither can I!"

Charisma smiled sadly and nodded. "Yeah…"

Misa became concerned and felt that something was wrong. "Did something happen? Are you feeling okay?"

Goten and Trunks discontinued their conversation once they heard what Misa said. Goten stared at Charisma for a few seconds before realizing that she hadn't even brought lunch.

"Hey, aren't you going to get some food?" he asked.

Charisma shook her head and scratched her arm slowly. "No, I'm not really hungry…"

Trunks glowered and leaned closer to her, studying her face. "Are you sure you feel okay?"

Charisma took a deep breath to speak but stopped when she noticed Mace and Aracelle walking in together past the table. Misa, Goten, and Trunks immediately noticed this and became silent as their eyes studied the pair.

Misa grew even more concerned. "Is that it? You saw them?"

"Yeah," she nodded and looked down at her lap. "They were having a conversation in the hallway…I think they were talking about me."

"Really?" Goten asked curiously. "What did they say?"

"Nothing nice…"

Trunks threw daggers with his eyes at Mace as he stood in line with Aracelle. Aracelle felt the eyes on her and turned to see Trunks looking her way.

'Oh, jealous?' she thought. She grinned flirtatiously at him and waved while Mace had his back turned. Trunks looked away and back at Charisma.

"Forget him," he said sternly. "He was never right for you."

Charisma looked up at him. Their eyes locked on to each other. She knew he cared about her and that alone helped alleviate some of the pain. She shook her head and looked down.

"I guess…"

…

Charisma became silent during the rest of the day, even around her friends. 'After gym class Charisma decided to remain alone in the gymnasium after the other students had left. The day was over and everyone was heading home. '

"What do you mean you're staying?" Misa asked in disbelief. "Are you really okay?"

"Yeah," Charisma said. "I just need some time alone to think, you know."

"She's got a point," Goten agreed and tugged at Misa's arm. "We'll wait for you outside the school when you're ready, okay?"

"Okay," Charisma nodded and looked at Trunks. His gaze was firm but concerned. She smiled at him. "Don't worry. I'll be fine, as long as you guys are there for me."

"We'll always be," Trunks responded and patted Charisma on top of her head like a kitten.

The three friends walked away and out of the gymnasium. Misa gave one last glance back at Charisma but continued on when Charisma gave her the thumps up.

Charisma took a deep, slow, sad breath and walked over to the nearby punching bag. "I really need this," she said to herself and began swinging at it. She was careful not to hit it too hard or get to upset as her thoughts of the day circled her mind.

'Why would he be with her?' she wondered as her fists struck the blue bag. 'She's clearly taking advantage of that…she's such a snake! Going after him…always going after someone I care about! Like Trunks…'

The sound of footsteps into the gym cut of her train of thought. Charisma turned her head slightly and from the corner of her eye could see who it was.

"Aracelle," she growled low to herself. Charisma felt her blood boil but suppressed her anger and began punching the bag even more aggressively. After all, that's all she could do right now.

Aracelle's heels struck the varnished wooden gym floors, sounding like a horse's hooves against cobblestone. The simple sound was somehow annoying Charisma so much that her breathing became labored as she tried to control her building rage.

Aracelle stopped a short distance behind Charisma and crossed her arms. "Hey there…" she greeted, though Charisma could tell she wasn't being friendly. "What are you up to?"

Charisma didn't speak up for a moment. She collected her feelings and bottled them up tightly. "Just working out a bit…"

"Really?" replied Aracelle with feigned surprise. "I thought you would've gotten enough exercise from class today. You really seemed hostile when it came to those drills…like you were thinking about something else entirely."

"I guess…What do you want?"

Aracelle lowered her arms and began pacing around a bit as she toyed with her hair. "I just came to see how you were doing. It's only been two days, but you seem to already have gotten over Mace. You were frolicking with your beloved Trunks in the hallway earlier, after all."

Charisma stopped her fist midair and slowly turned her head to glare at Aracelle. "Frolicking? Are you serious?"

Aracelle grinned haughtily at her. "Yeah. Mace told me about it. Poor guy seemed really upset about it and he comes to me from time to time to ask me how I'm doing…so I figured it'd be nice for me to help him out in his time of need."

Charisma rolled her eyes and held back the urge to swing at her and instead hit the punching bag again. "He's acting stupid. I've said this before and I'll say it again: Trunks and I are only friends. Last time I checked, there wasn't anything wrong with hugging a friend. It's what friends do. I'm like that with Goten, too."

"Oh yeah, Goten," she said mockingly. "One might think you've got feelings for him, too."

Charisma stopped her fists midair again and immediately turned around to glare at Aracelle. Noticing the fiery gaze, Aracelle could tell she upset Charisma and the feeling made her want to laugh out loud with glee.

"Just kidding!" she laughed as she held up her hands defensively.

Charisma took a deep, annoyed breath. "Is that what you came here for? Don't waste your time. Go home and spend time on your homework instead. Your grades are slipping, aren't they?"

This time, Aracelle's grin faded into a glower and she glared back at Charisma.

"I wouldn't want to be stuck tutoring you or anything."

"Oh, that was uncalled for!" Aracelle swallowed at her anger. "I know Trunks only sees you as a friend, but that doesn't mean you can take out your frustrations on me."

Charisma bit her tongue and turned back to the punching bag and continued her work out. Aracelle smirked arrogantly.

"Yeah," she continued. "Nothing much has changed since then, I see. You're stuck in the friend zone, 'one of the guys' kind of a girl. That must really suck…"

Charisma stopped just as her fist hit the bag. Her memories flashed back to her younger days. Nothing was perfect when it came to her friendship with Trunks. The two friends did argue a lot and over the smallest things, but they never stopped caring about each other and even Trunks would show her a warm gesture from time to time.

But everything changed when he met Aracelle and from the first day, Charisma felt that Aracelle was trying to get in their way. Charisma wanted to believe that maybe she was simply jealous because her best friend was spending more time with someone else. And Aracelle had no reason in trying to separate them, either, considering that Trunks and Charisma only considered each others friends that point.

'It's all her fault,' Charisma thought angrily. 'Ever since she first came around, nothing between Trunks and I has ever been the same. Back then, I missed being around him, and I missed being able to talk to him alone, without someone standing there listening as if it concerned her.'

Charisma shut her eyes. 'I lost him because of her, and even now, he's still lost to me. I realized my feelings back then, but there's nothing I can do anymore to get him to love me, too! It's all her fault!'

Aracelle noticed the look of turmoil in Charisma's face and covered her mouth, as if she'd accidently shared a secret.

"Oh, I'm sorry! A little too personal? Well, here's a gift I have to pass along to you…" Aracelle reached into her purse and pulled out her pink cell phone. She held it out to Charisma and smiled. "Go on! Take a look!"

Charisma slowly turned around to look. She gasped inwardly and her eyes widened. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was a picture of her and Trunks at the park the other day. The two were lying in the grass in a compromising position. The thought caused a bright blush to cross Charisma's cheeks.

"What the hell?" Charisma lunged at Aracelle to snatch the phone, but the red head pulled it back and shut it before placing it in her bag. "Where the hell did you get that?"

"Well, I was walking home that day when I saw you and Trunks at the park. You seemed to have such fun on the grass. It was kind of sickening, considering how you were still Mace's girlfriend. Eh, I decided to give my good friend a heads up…"

Charisma struggled to catch her breath. The wind had been knocked out of her lungs. She figured it was Aracelle's way of punching her in the gut.

"You!" Charisma trembled with anger. "It's your fault!"

"Oh come on!" Aracelle said coldly, dropping her friendly act. "Stop blaming other people for your mistakes! You had a great guy here who was crazy about you and yet you get involved with your 'best friend' who cares for you no more than he'd care for any other friend. Mace deserves to know the truth. You're not as sweet as you seem to be. But you'd make a great actress, I'm positive."

Charisma glared, feeling sick to her stomach at the simple sight of the girl. "You're such a damn hussy," her voice oozed with venomous rage. "…moving on from one guy to the other. At one point, I wanted Trunks to like me, too, and then you came and made him into someone I feel I can't even talk to sometimes! And now you're after Mace? At least I don't go around pouncing on other girl's men like a damn animal. I don't like sloppy seconds, but it seems you really do. Are they really that good? Or do you just hate yourself so much that you can't find a man of your own?"

This time around, Charisma delivered the blow to Aracelle's poise. "How dare you!" she seethed, shocked and pissed. "Stop playing saint! We all now you're not what you pretend to be! Do you want to fight me or something?"

Charisma scoffed at the idea and placed her hands on her hips. "You know, nothing would feel better to me than to knock your little rabbit teeth out of your mouth. But you're not worth my time, and I don't want to start any trouble with the authorities. I have grades to keep up and I'm not going to get suspend or expelled for someone like you."

Charisma wanted to laugh out loud at Aracelle's angry face.

"Well, if you're done, I'm going home with my friends," Charisma added. "I don't think you really know what friends are though, so you wouldn't understand. Stay out of my way."

Charisma turned to the punching bag and pulled back her fist. She stuck the bag so hard that it flew across the gym and hit the wall like a bomb, exploding on contact. Charisma sighed; feeling like her anger had been dispersed, at least for now. She walked off and out the gym door, leaving a stunned Aracelle behind.

Aracelle's complexion faded into a ghostly white. "W-what…the…?" Aracelle gasped and realized what happened. "How did she…how could…" Aracelle lifted her hands to her face. "Oh no! I have to get out of here before someone comes in and blames me for this!"

Aracelle took off out of the gym, the sound of her heels echoing loudly through the empty gym. Just a short moment later, Coach walked into the gymnasium with plans to head to his office.

"Seriously, I don't know why I remained in this job so long," the man complained to no one in particular. "These students are ruthless!" His eyes came upon the mountain of sand and blue material at the other end of the gym.

"What's that?" he ran off and studied the mess. "Not this again! So much for maintaining the budget…"

…

After Misa and Goten departed, Charisma and Trunks decided to study together that night. They were going to be tested in the math class they shared the following morning and figured it'd be best to get some last minute studying done. Trunks and Charisma entered the large Capsule Corp house, leaving their loafers at the door.

"I'm home!" Trunks called to his mother.

Bulma emerged from another part of the house and quickly walked over to the two teens at the entrance.

"Hey son! How was your day?" she greeted him. She turned to Charisma and smiled warmly. "And hello, Charisma. It's nice to see you decided to drop by for a visit."

Charisma smiled and waved. "Yeah, I haven't been here for a while. I'm here to help Trunks study for a math test tomorrow."

Bulma nodded and grinned at the two. 'They're so cute!' she mentally gushed. 'They would make the perfect couple, I'm sure of it!'

"That's great!" she responded. "Make yourselves comfortable!" Bulma smiled at both of them before heading off to the kitchen.

"Well, let's go to the living room," Trunks said, turning to Charisma. She nodded and silently followed along.

In the large living room, the pair sat on their knees at the coffee table and took out their books. Charisma opened up her bag and began rummaging in it, suddenly becoming frantic.

"GYAAA!"

Trunks just about jumped at her high-pitched scream. "What's wrong?"

Charisma grumbled and pouted with her arms crossed. "I forgot my textbook and notebook…but most importantly my notebook with all my notes!"

Trunks stared at her in awe and grinned teasingly. "That's really shocking. You're such an 'ideal' student and yet you forget your notes the day before an important test!"

"Let me see your notes, will ya?" Charisma asked with a glare. "If I fail, it'll be all your fault for not helping me!"

"Oh, go ahead and blame it on me!" Trunks took out his notebook and handed it to Charisma. "That's just like you."

Charisma opened his notebook and flipped through the pages. Her face became distorted with confusion. "What the hell is this? I can't understand your handwriting. You should consider taking a penmanship class."

Trunks growled and tried to snatch his notebook back, only to have Charisma turn away. "Don't judge me. That's my personal style."

Charisma laughed and beamed at him. "That's a nice way to describe it!"

After a few more minutes of distraction, the two finally began studying as they had intended. Trunks and Charisma were both feeling awkward considering the fact that they had to share a textbook and a notebook and sit so closely to each other. Eventually, Charisma finished copying the notes that she needed on a sheet of paper and remained aloof.

Trunks looked up from his work and noticed the glazed look in her eyes as she scanned the paper for info. She played with the pencil in her fingers with one hand and had her chin resting on the other. Even as she studied and went on her business, Trunks could sense that she wasn't feeling very happy.

"…Are you concentrating really hard?" he asked.

"Huh?" Charisma lifted her head to look at him.

"Are you okay? You've gotten worse since we left you alone."

Charisma shook her head. "I'm fine. I've just got a lot on my mind and it's kind of hard to focus on other things."

Trunks sighed and agreed. "I know how that feels. But I'm really starting to worry about you. You haven't been the same for some time now. "

Charisma looked at him with big, watery eyes. 'He really does care about me!' she thought happily.

"You're really concerned!" she said cheerfully.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

Charisma looked down dejectedly. "You know…something happened in the gym…"

Trunks put his pencil down and looked at her. "Yeah?"

"I saw Aracelle," Charisma explained. "She came to ask me how I was doing after my break up. So sweet, huh?" Charisma's voice dripped with sarcasm.

Trunks growled to himself and shook his head. "I can't believe her…"

"She told me she's been friends with Mace for a while and he's been confiding everything in her. I had to take out my anger on a defenseless little punching bag in order to keep myself from punching her right in the mouth…" Charisma paused for a moment to breathe deeply and ingest her building anger. "And she showed me something that made me really want to do that…"

Trunks' eyes were wide, not sure what to expect. "What?"

"You remember that day we were at the park? I tackled you and we ended up on the ground."

Trunks rolled his eyes. "I remember that, believe me. I was embarrassed to be subdued by you…still am…"

Charisma giggled for a moment but shook her head. "Never mind that! Well, Aracelle just so happened to be in the neighborhood…"

"No way…" he said, shocked.

"Yes…and she decided to take a picture of us on her cell phone and showed it to Mace. That's why he wouldn't speak to me, and why we broke up. He thinks I cheated on him because of her."

Trunks growled and slammed his fist against the coffee table, careful not to damage it. "Honestly, why would she do something like that?"

"I don't know…but Aracelle is a meddling bitch," Charisma spat out.

Trunks stared at her in awe and laughed at her words. "Did you really just call her that?"

Charisma grumbled and turned to him. "Yeah! She is! But it's okay… neither of them are worth it. If he believes her over believing me, than I'm better off without him. And in the end, Aracelle hurts herself more than she hurts anyone else. Why do you think she's always alone? No one likes her, except the guys that know she's easy."

Trunks continued laughing out loud at the spite Charisma was spewing. "You're really mad! You know, you're a mellow person and all so it's surprising how scary you become when you're mad."

"You don't want to know what I did with that punching bag."

Trunks eyes were wide and amused. "Did you blast it?"

"That would've been too excessive," she said simply.

"You're really something," he laughed.

Charisma sighed and crossed her arms. "I think for now, its best if I remain solo."

Trunks immediately stopped laughing. "What?"

"No more boyfriends for me, at least for now. I don't think I could handle this anymore."

Charisma sighed. 'I can't believe that I admitted my feelings for him today…' she thought. 'I don't think that I'll be able to think clearly if I'm with someone else anymore. I think for now its best to wait and see if Trunks will make a move.'

"I see," he said feeling a bit stunned. "I'm sorry."

Charisma smiled him. "What are you apologizing for?"

Trunks didn't want her to feel bad, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel happy at her decision. "Nothing. This might just be hard on you. Don't be sad anymore."

"I won't be! As long as you're here…" she smiled sweetly at him.

"I'll always be," he replied and smiled back.

Charisma nodded contently, but sighed sadly a few seconds later. "But prom is only a month away. It seems I'm not going to have a date…"

Trunks was taken aback by this but shook his head. "You don't have to worry about that. I'm sure some guy will come along and ask to go with you before then."

"Maybe," Charisma said thoughtfully. "Maybe…You're right." She smiled and leaned closer to him. "You know, you're not gonna have a date for prom either."

Trunks looked away. "I'm not even going."

Charisma whined and pouted. "What? Why? You can't miss it! It won't be the same without you!"

"I've already decided."

Charisma grabbed his arm and tugged at him until he turned to look at her.

"Don't do that!" he protested, knowing what she was planning on doing. But as usual, Charisma didn't give in and instead continued pouting cutely at him. Trunks felt his heart melt and groused. He couldn't figure out why he felt so defenseless against her gaze. "Fine…I'll go."

"YAY!" Charisma cheered. "I'm so glad! I would miss you!"

Trunks blushed and wanted to disappear for a moment.

"And don't worry!" Charisma held up her right hand. "Even if I do find a date before then, I'll dance with you at least once!"

Trunks suddenly laughed. "You? Dance? No thank you."

"What's so funny?" Charisma demanded. "You can't dance either! I'll have a long dress so my feet will be covered. And you? Will you wear a dress to hide your awful dancing, too?"

"That's not fair!" he grumbled.

"Of course it is! You're a guy who can go Super Saiyan. It's not fair that I can't be as strong as you but there's nothing I can do about it!"

"Don't be stupid!" he laughed.

The visit went on with more talk than actual studying, much to their surprise. At 9 o'clock, Charisma decided it would be best to head on home and sleep early for the test.

Sometime after she had gone, Trunks entered his room after a shower and turned off the lights. He was just about to get into bed when he noticed something from out his window. Charisma was sitting at a window in her room and staring up dreamily at the sky. He watched as she looked up at the stars. She brought a hand to her heart and shut her eyes.

"A wish?" Trunks whispered. "I wonder what she's wishing for…"

* * *

_So, Charisma admits to herself that she has feelings for Trunks. Trunks acts like he does sometimes and even says things, but will he ever really admit it to himself? Until he does that, nothing will ever happen between them, so let's hope he comes to his senses soon! :D Next chapter is the Senior Trip, so please review and look forward to the next chappie! _


	20. Summer Fun, Summer Romance

_Author's Note: _I'm back! Sheesh, has it been almost six months since my last update? Oh, I'm ashamed! I've been so busy with school and work and all that I didn't even realize it's been that long. Reading over reviews keeps my drive and inspiration going to continue on with this story, so please send then to me if you can. Also, I hate to leave a story incomplete when I know there are people that enjoy it. So let me know if you like it or not!

BTW, you can check out my DeviantArt account posted on my profile (click 'homepage') to see pics of what Charisma looks like and stuff. I hope you'll check it out! Well, here it finally is! Hopefully, the next update will be soon. Enjoy! :)

Chapter 20:

Summer Fun, Summer Romance

"Why are you crying? I'll be back tonight, Mom."

Kaylei watched her daughter packed the last swimsuits into her luggage and blew her nose loudly.

"I know, I know," she sobbed. "But I just get so emotional because you're growing up so fast…today, it's your trip. Next, prom and then graduation. Then college…then you'll get married and have kids!" Kaylei broke out into more tears, overflowing like a broken faucet.

Charisma sweat dropped and took a deep breath. "Mom…" she said softly as she carried her luggage out the room and down the stairs. "Time goes by quickly, but we're still young. You don't have to feel so old, either."

"I know," she continued sobbing.

"Where's dad?" Charisma asked once she reached the door.

"I think he's in the basement, working, dear," replied Kaylei as she continued blowing her nose loudly.

"Oh…" Charisma said softly. "BYE DADDY!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.

"ENJOY YOUR TRIP, SWEETIE!" his voice rang through the house.

"Let's get going now, Mom," Charisma said to her mother.

"Okay," Kaylei agreed as she stepped out of the house with Charisma and shut the door behind her. "Are the others here?"

Charisma didn't have to answer. Misa, Goten, and Trunks were standing in front of Charisma's house.

"What took you so long?" Goten protested as Charisma approached them. "We've been ready to go for a while now!"

"Sorry!" Charisma apologized and batted her eyes sweetly. "I just couldn't figure out which swimsuit I wanted to bring, so I brought two!"

"Me too!" Misa giggled and high fived Charisma.

"Girls," Trunks sighed and crossed his arms. "Let's get going." Misa and Charisma stared at each other and tried to hold in their laughter. Kaylei and the teens walked towards Trunks' house to see Bulma starting her airplane.

"Are you finally ready to go?" she asked as the group approached her on the front lawn.

"Yeah, they're ready," Kaylei confirmed. "Make sure you're not forgetting anything, kids."

"No, we have everything," Misa said and jumped into the small plane. "Let's just go! I wanna go soak up that sun!"

"Calm down," Bulma laughed as they all mounted the aircraft. "We'll be there within in fifteen minutes. You won't miss your bus."

"Yay! I'm so excited!" Misa said energetically as she clapped her hands. "I can't believe this day is here. It's going to be so much fun!" Misa felt such happiness that she broke out into random song the whole way to school.

**…**

Students were lying across grass in front of Orange Star High School and relaxing under the warm morning sun. School wouldn't begin for another half hour and now was the perfect time for students to study for last minutes tests or just unwind. The peace was suddenly disturbed when the students noticed the small airplane with the Capsule Corp. logo on it preparing for a landing right in the middle of the quad. Students shouted and jumped out of the way, papers and notebooks flying as the aircraft descended closer to the ground. The aircraft finally came to a complete stop and the doors swung open.

"Here we are!" Bulma announced cheerfully as she shut off the engines.

"Mom, was it really necessary to park here?" Trunks asked with a look of exasperation on his face.

"Well, it was either here or out in the middle of the street, son," Bulma explained nonchalantly as she stepped out of the plane. Students simply stared in awe as the group headed towards the school buses parked in front of the school. The four friends in the group avoided eye contact with the other students.

"Sorry, sorry!" Charisma whispered as they walked past.

"They'll get over it," Bulma reassured her with a smile. "Now let's hurry before the buses leave."

The four teens boarded their bus and bid goodbye to Kaylei and Bulma. Misa nudged Goten's elbow once they entered the bus. "Hey," she whispered. "Let's sit together so that Trunks and Charisma will have to sit together, okay?"

Goten tossed a sly grin at Misa. "Oh, trying to play cupid, huh?" he murmured to her. "I like it. Okay."

Charisma took a seat and looked up at Misa as she began approaching. Misa suddenly latched onto Goten's arm. "Let's sit together, Goten!" She dragged him to the seat right behind Charisma and sat.

Trunks casually sat down beside Charisma and could hear Misa giggling from behind them, almost devilishly. He turned his head to eye her weirdly. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing!" Misa said with a hand over her mouth. "Nothing at all…"

Trunks shook it off and faced forward. "She's weird sometimes…"

Charisma looked over at him and smiled. "Normal Misa wouldn't be Misa at all now, would she?"

"I'm right behind you!" Misa sneered before breaking into laughter with Charisma. Trunks chuckled to himself and shook his head. The friends' laughter died down when they noticed the pair that was now strolling through the aisle, fingers intertwined.

"Look, it's the moron and his wench," Misa whispered to Goten.

Charisma kept her gaze glued to her lap and sighed as they walked past her seat. She could feel their stares burning into her, but refused to look at either of them. Her heart pounded almost painfully against her chest. She couldn't understand why it made her so upset still. Trunks felt the air of unhappiness Charisma was exuding and put a hand on her shoulder. Charisma jumped slightly, startled, and looked up at him.

"You're okay, right?" he asked softly.

At the sound of his voice, Charisma could feel the weight on her heart lifting enough to let her breathe. She smiled wholeheartly at him. "Yeah! I'm great!" she grinned and took a deep breath, shrugging her shoulders with it.

'As long as you're here,' she thought. She shifted closer to him and placed her head on his shoulder, shutting her eyes, and feeling him jolt slightly. A smile spread on her lips.

Trunks remained frozen in his seat. Now he was the one finding it hard to breathe. He looked down at her carefully. "Charisma?"

"Hmmm?" she lifted her head slightly and looked up at him.

Trunks felt a sensation in his stomach, so much it made him uncomfortable. "…Nothing…" He tried not to bite his tongue.

Charisma grinned. "Okay!" She rested her head on his shoulder once again, falling into a soft nap as the bus finally pulled off to head towards the destination.

**…**

About an hour later, the bus finally pulled up at its destination and the students quickly stepped out of it.

"We're here!" Misa exclaimed happily as she stretched her arms out over her head. "The weather is absolutely beautiful, too!"

"Yeah, I thought it was supposed to rain today," added Goten.

Misa glared at him. "Hey, don't jinx it! I've been waiting for this field trip all year long!"

Goten grinned at her. "Don't tell me you believe in that superstitious kind of thing? There isn't a cloud in the sky. Relax."

Charisma yawned lazily and rubbed her eyes as she came up behind her friends. "I'm still sleepy…maybe I shouldn't have taken that nap…"

"Really?" Misa asked and approached her. "Oh, I know! Let's head down to the beach and go for a swim. That water will be the perfect thing to wake you right up!"

"That sounds fun," Charisma agreed and smiled cheerfully. She lifted a fist in the air. "Let's go!" Misa and Charisma joined hands and ran off towards the beach leaving Trunks and Goten staring at them.

"What are you waiting for?" Charisma called to them as she continued running. "I said 'let's go!'"

"I better get my camera ready," Goten chuckled mischievously as he reached into his backpack. "There are going to be tons of hot girls in bikinis! Let's go, Trunks!"

Trunks sighed and uncrossed his arms. "Fine."

**…**

"Your swimsuit is really cute, Charisma!" Misa said brightly as the two stepped onto the sand in their bathing suits. "Sky blue is definitely your color."

"Really? Thanks! I didn't know whether to wear this or the one piece, though," Charisma replied and added with a chuckle. "Well, my dad isn't here after all and I figured it'd be fun to wear a two piece for a change."

"Oh, right," Misa giggled and looked down at herself. "What about mine? How does it look?"

"It's really cute, too," Charisma replied. "Green looks really nice on you. And the polka dots are cute!"

Misa looked behind Charisma's shoulder and smiled as she watched Trunks and Goten approach in their swim shorts. "The guys are here!"

"Look at all these pretty girls!" Goten hummed as he held up his video camera. "Good memories indeed!"

"Goten, you need to stop spending so much time with Master Roshi," Trunks grumbled exasperatedly. "You do know that girls don't like perverts, right?"

"I'm not a pervert!" he shot back, momentarily removing his eyes from the camera lens.

"Hey guys!" Misa called as she waved her hand and ran over with Charisma close behind. They came to a stop right in front of the two guys. "Oh, you remembered to bring the video camera, Goten. We're going to make lots of memories today!"

"Yeah," Goten said, without paying much attention to what she was saying. Instead, he focused the camera on Misa's body in her green polka dot bikini. "Memories…"

"You better not be using that camera for your obscenities, Goten," Charisma warned sternly and crossed her arms, stepping in front of his view.

"Okay," he simply replied as he turned the camera lens to zoom out and up. It quickly focused on Charisma's flushed face.

"Hey, will you stop pointing that thing at me?" Charisma protested with a pout, covering her body shyly with her arms. "It feels like you're checking me out. It's kind of creepy, Goten."

"There's no reason to feel awkward," he said smoothly winking at Charisma. "I've seen you in swimsuits before, so it's nothing new. Besides, we've all bathed together, haven't we?"

Charisma felt her cheeks flush. "…What?"

"Yeah," Goten added teasingly. "The three of us: you, me, and Trunks."

Trunks shot a glare at him as he blushed. Charisma felt her face flushing as well when Misa turned around to look at her and laughed. "Seriously?"

"We were little kids!" Charisma disputed as she turned to her. Crossing her arms, she added lowly, "And thank goodness I can barely remember any of it…"

"That _is_ a little creepy," Misa chuckled but shook it off. "Anyway, let's stop talking and get to swimming, okay?"

"Good idea!" Charisma quickly said and grabbed Misa by the wrist. "Let's go!"

Goten continued recording as the two girls ran towards the waves. He watched as a strong wave nearly knocked Misa over. Two shrilled screams erupted from the friends, followed by their rolling laughter.

Goten didn't know what hit him when he suddenly felt someone smack him on the back of the head. He looked around bewildered and noticed Trunks standing behind him.

"You're an idiot!" Trunks said, still blushing. "Why did you have to bring that up?"

"I don't see what the problem is," Goten said smoothly, rubbing the spot where he had been hit with his hand. "Cheer up! Charisma sure has." Trunks turned and watched as Charisma laughed and splashed about in the water. "Maybe you can learn a thing or two from her," Goten added with a smirk and walked off towards the girls.

Trunks stared after him for a moment. "Moron," he said and followed along.

"Hey, guys! What took you so long?" Misa shouted to them as they approached. "The water's fine! Jump in!"

"Sounds good!" Goten left his belongings in the girls' pile of things and ran to join them. Goten jumped high in the air and performed a perfect dive into the water. Misa and Charisma giggled nearby as water splashed about them from the impact.

Trunks left his belongs on the pile as well and slowly approached the shore. He calmly stepped into the water and floated about. Charisma looked over at him and grinned, swimming beside him.

"Hey, can I tell you something?" she asked as she swam over to him.

Trunks shifted his eyes towards her and stood up in the water. "What is it?"

"We're out here in the warm sun, under a beautiful clear blue sky, and yet you look like the sky is falling down…"

"Huh?"

"You should smile more often! You'll have more fun that way," Charisma spoke kindly. "Like this!" She grinned up at him in hopes of getting him to smile with her but his face remained stern. Her grin widened and she cocked her head to the side cutely, but his gaze only became sharper. Out of options, she suddenly crossed her eyes, puckered her lips, and made a crazy face. At last, she could see a barely visible smile on his face and a gleam coming from his eyes.

Charisma broke out in laughter. "Did I make you smile?" she asked and he shook his head as he tried to hide his grin.

"No, what gave you that idea?"

"Yes you did!" she protested and brought her fingers to the ends of his lips, tilting them up to literally put a smile on his face. "You see? You're smiling!"

Trunks pulled away but felt an inevitable smile spreading across his face. "You're so annoying…" he laughed.

Charisma smirked proudly. "Hey, thanks!"

Trunks looked up and suddenly gasped. He surprised Charisma when he put his arms around her body, pulling her closely to him. He spun around just in time to feel an airborne volleyball hit him on his back and fall into the water.

Charisma looked up at him, trying to keep her body from shaking at being so close to him. Her cheeks were dyed pink and she took a deep breathe. "Did you just…protect me from that?"

Trunks sighed and slowly let go of her. He blushed when he noticed how closely he had drawn her. "Sorry I grabbed you like that…"

Charisma smiled at him but shook her head. "Don't apologize! That's like one of the nicest things you've ever done for me. It's not like it was a cannonball, though." Trunks smiled at her but the silence was interrupted when another classmate came running into the water.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized as she adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose. "Are you okay?"

"Don't worry about it," Charisma replied kindly. "We're fine."

"Hika!" Misa called out as she approached the three. "It's nice to see you!"

"You know each other?" asked Trunks.

"Yeah, we have lab class together," Misa explained before looking at her friend. "What are you up to?"

"I'm playing beach volleyball with a few other classmates," Hika explained and then blushed as she scratched the back of her head. "Looks like I hit the ball a bit too high, though.

My team is being creamed because of me."

"Really?" Misa asked and looked at her hopefully. "Hey, is it okay if I join the game?"

Hika smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah, that sounds great! We could use more people." She looked at Charisma and spoke again. "Do you want to play, too?"

Charisma nodded excitedly. "Sure!"

The girls stepped out of the water together and headed over to the nearby volleyball net located a few feet away from the shore. Hika and Misa continued talking and Charisma followed along, freezing in her tracks when she saw one of the members of the other team.

Misa noticed that Charisma hadn't been following and ran back to her. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"Look who's there," she said coldly.

Misa huffed when she saw red-headed Aracelle on the other side of the net. "Oh, hey don't worry about her, too much, okay?" she tried to cheer up Charisma.

"That's going to be hard to do," Charisma pouted. A bitter taste filled her mouth at the thought of being in Aracelle's presence.

"Come on! A friendly game of beach volleyball sounds fun," Misa said to Charisma, shaking her out of her trance. She leaned in closer and whispered in her friend's ear. "Aren't you curious to see what kind of face Aracelle will have once you beat her?"

Charisma looked at Misa and grinned. "You've convinced me! Let's go!" Charisma hurried over and greeted the other classmates of her team, introducing herself to everyone, except for Aracelle, of course.

"We're going to start the game over," the captain of Hika's team stated. "Charisma and Misa will join our team." The teams were evened out as five versus five and the game went on. The team captain passed the ball under the net to the captain of the other team, Aracelle.

Aracelle had a smug look on her face the whole time. "This should be fun, right?" she announced, throwing a glance directly at Charisma. "Let's get started…"

"This is great!" Goten shouted and ran to grab his video camera. "Girls in bikinis playing volleyball! It can't get any better!"

Trunks sighed and got out of the water as well and stood nearby to watch the game. He noticed the determined look on Charisma's face. 'She must be really serious about this…' he thought. 'I hope she doesn't over do it though…'

Fortunately, Trunks didn't have to worry about that at all. After all, she was much different than he was. Charisma displayed a level of restraint that neither Goten nor Trunks possessed. At times, however, she did lose her cool and would pull a move that would make even Vegeta proud.

The game went on for fifteen minutes and by that time both teams were tied up. It seemed the other girls were only interested in playing for fun, laughing and enjoying it. Aracelle and Charisma exchanged glares throughout the entire game, smacking the ball harshly towards each other when they had the chance. The only people who seemed to notice were Misa, Goten, and Trunks, of course, knowing the bad blood between the two.

"What are we gonna do?" Misa asked leaning towards Charisma. "We're tied…but yet we're so close to victory, I can feel it!"

Charisma nodded her head. "Just leave it to me…" Charisma looked towards her team. "Allow me to serve, will ya?"

The other girls looked at each other and agreed. The team captain handed Charisma the ball. "Go for it!"

Charisma saw the defiant stare that Aracelle threw at her and smirked. 'Take this!' she thought confidently. She threw the ball up high and smacked it over the net. The girl at the farthest end of the area dove just in time to save it. Other members of the team fumbled with the ball and managed to set it. Finally, the ball was over Aracelle's head and she smacked it harshly towards Charisma, setting very high.

Misa turned to look at her friend and almost peed herself from the look in Charisma's eyes. Her eyebrows arched menacingly angry making her look tougher with a look that no one had ever seen before. "Wait! Don't over do it!" Misa shouted lifting her arms up into the air frantically.

Charisma jumped up extremely high from the ground, almost levitating, as the others watched in awe. With a quick jab, she spiked the ball so hard it fell like a cannonball towards the other team. Time seemed to play in slow motion as the ball made its way over, zipping through the atmosphere. The other girls on the opposite team screamed and scattered away at the sight of the high velocity volleyball that was heading their way.

Aracelle remained nearby much too bewildered to move. The ball made impact on the sand; quite literally. Once the ball hit ground, it caused a wave of sand to shoot up from the ground like a geyser and tossed Aracelle a few feet away from the court. She barely avoided landing on a sand crab by only a few inches.

The other girls stood in silence with Goten and Trunks staring with wide eyes.

"We…won…" the captain of the team said hoarsely.

"…Hooray…" the team said slowly in unison.

"What the hell was that?" Misa sighed and turned around to look at Charisma.

Charisma stood there with her hands over her mouth utterly shocked. She didn't realize she had put so much force into it. "…ugh…my secret weapon?"

"'Weapon' is right," Trunks sputtered and smacked his forehead.

"I caught that all on video…" Goten said excitedly. "That was awesome!"

**…**

"That was so embarrassing," Charisma said lowly as the group of friends followed the crowd of students towards the lighthouse located at the very tip of the coast. The group had changed out of their swimsuits and into their regular summer attire. "I still can't believe I did that. I didn't mean to…"

"Don't feel bad," Misa comforted her. "You saw how impressed those girls were! The captain of our team happens to be the actual captain of the volleyball team at school. She thinks you've got a mean right hook. If only we weren't at the end the year, you would've made a star player, she said."

Charisma frowned. "Still, I feel bad. I hope Aracelle wasn't hurt too badly…" Charisma grinned wickedly shortly after that statement.

"Take a look at that lighthouse!" Goten said in awe as he recorded the scenery. "It's huge! I've never seen one up close like this."

Charisma smiled warmly at him. He had lived a sheltered life until he had started high school with them, so he didn't have much time to travel along in school trips. Misa grabbed a pamphlet from a tourist stand near the base of the lighthouse. She read through the booklet and suddenly giggled childishly.

"This is so cute!" she grinned to herself. Charisma looked at her and came up to her side.

"What is it?" she asked curiously, skimming the pamphlet with her eyes.

"According to local folklore, the top of the lighthouse the ideal spot for couples because it is believed to bring good luck," Misa explained to the group of friends.

"Really?" Charisma asked a smile brightening up her face.

"Ridiculous," scoffed Trunks. "You girls don't really believe that, do you?"

"Don't be such a kill-joy, Trunks," Charisma pouted and turned to Misa. "That sounds so romantic! Just the thought of being up there alone with a special someone…" Charisma looked down at her hands and twiddled her thumbs shyly.

Trunks grumbled.

"That sounds like the perfect place to bring a girl," Goten said thoughtfully, shutting off the video camera and storing it.

"The view from up there must be wonderful," Charisma said dreamily. "You look out to one side, and all you see is blue sky. To the other side, all you see is the blue sea. How wonderful!" Misa continued skimming through the pamphlet and let out a hearty giggle.

"What is it?" Charisma asked again.

"The folklore also says that if a couple is to kiss at the top of the lighthouse, their future will be a bright one," explained Misa. "It's a good omen, it gives good fortune. The couple will be together forever…" Misa and Charisma sighed dreamily and leaned against each other.

Goten stood in his spot pondering something before snapping his fingers. "Hey, Misa…?"

Misa looked at him and crossed her arms. "Don't bother, Goten," she said shaking her head indifferently. "If you plan on asking me to go…-"

"No, don't get me wrong, Misa," Goten interrupted her. "I just want you to tell me something."

Misa looked at him with wide eyes full of curiosity. "…Yes…?"

Goten approached her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Be honest…what do you think…?" Misa gasped. Goten lifted his hand and pointed towards two girls sitting on a bench under a large tree. "Which one is prettier? Which girl should I ask to walk me to the top of the lighthouse?"

Misa's cheeks burned and she glared at him. "You jerk! Have you no mind?" Misa stomped on his foot and angrily walked off to the other side of the grassy area.

Goten jumped and shrieked, reaching out to her as she wandered off. "Misa, wait!" he called as he chased after her. "Let's go together!

"Leave me alone! First you chased after that girl in the pink bikini on the beach, now you want to take me up there?" Misa grumbled and she trudged forward, not even looking back to him as she spoke.

"I said it was a joke," Goten explained nervously. "Do you really wanna kiss me that much?"

At that, Misa whirled around. "Jerk!" The tables turned as Misa began chasing Goten all over the lawn. Other tourists eyed them with perplexed expressions.

Charisma and Trunks sweatdropped before looking at each other. Charisma grinned. "Those two never fail to amuse me…"

"I guess," Trunks chuckled.

They stared up silently at the lighthouse. They could see people at the top of the lighthouse looking out the windows.

"You know, I honestly don't believe in that story either," Charisma explained and looked at him. "I believe luck is all in the mind."

"That's true," Trunks agreed. "You have to work for what you want. You can depend on a little thing such as 'fate' all the time."

"I believe in fate," Charisma said. "But I believe we influence it by the choices we make and the things we do." She sighed and crossed her arms, looking back up at the lighthouse as the people up there left from the windows. "But it would still be nice to go up there, just to see what the view looks like from above."

Trunks sighed and nodded. "Yeah, but I can fly up into the sky anytime if I want to see what it looks like for above."

"Aww," Charisma protested. "That ruins the fun though! Anyway, I'm going to the restroom. I'll be back in a few."

"Don't wander off," he called to her as she walked away.

"I'm not a kid!" she retorted.

**…**

Misa and Goten finally tired out of running laps around the lighthouse and joined Trunks as he sat on the grass looking utterly bored.

"You look so sad," Misa said frowning as she sat beside him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just tired," he replied. Goten let out a big sigh and stretched his arms over his head before coming to sit down besides Trunks. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I think I'm going to start exercising with you, Misa. You've got a lot of stamina to chase me around for a full fifteen minutes."

"I suppose," she said and shrugged. She began searching the area with her eyes and turned to Trunks. "Hey, where did Charisma go?"

"She said she was going to the bathroom," he replied. "But that was almost twenty minutes ago. Although she did want to go to the lighthouse so she might be there." He stood up and tilted his head upwards to the top of the tower and could see Charisma looking out the window. "Yeah, there she is."

"And you let her go alone?" Misa asked mockingly and stood up beside him. "You're certainly a gentleman!"

Trunks looked at her. "What are you talking about?"

Misa sighed and placed a hand on her head. "I wonder why boys are so dense…"

Trunks' face looked perplexed. "What are you trying to say?"

"Oh nothing," Misa yawned and covered her mouth. "She must be so lonely up there, though." Misa stifled a loud gasp as she caught sight of a couple holding hands and lingering around the entrance to the lighthouse. "Hey, hey, is that who I think it is?" Trunks and Goten were startled and looked over.

"Yeah, that's Aracelle," Goten confirmed. "I'm surprised she's still standing after what happened…"

"She's with Mace, too."

"Mace," Trunks spat as he crossed his arms. "I get tired of seeing those two."

"Agreed," Goten said.

Aracelle and Mace laughed together, whispering into each other's ears, and acting completely lovey-dovey. Misa frowned until she noticed that they began entering the lighthouse.

"They're going in!" Goten said. "I'm sure he's going to try and kiss her."

"But Charisma's up there!" Misa exclaimed. "She's been trying to act like she's okay but I know she's still hurting because of those two. If she finds them kissing or sees them together up there, she'll freak out. We have to stop them!"

Goten turned to Trunks. "Hey, I've got a plan…-"Goten began speaking but stopped immediately when he noticed Trunks was no longer around. He turned to see Trunks running over to the lighthouse.

"He's going to save her!" Misa said happily clapping her hands. "I'm so glad! He really needs to stop acting like such a tough guy all the time. I know he has a soft spot for her somewhere."

"Yeah," Goten agreed. "He can take care of this better than we can."

**…**

Trunks entered the lighthouse to find the now frail light of day shining through the various windows. He looked up to see the spiraling staircase continuing on for what seemed like eternity. Mace and Aracelle were just about to reach the top.

"Shoot!" he grumbled and ran to the beginning of the staircase. He looked around to make sure no one else was around and quickly flew up the stairs. He landed right at the doorway that led to the lookout and stepped out. He immediately saw Aracelle and Mace standing by the window across from the doorway busily making out. Trunks felt a wave of embarrassment and shock hit him before it he felt anger rumbling in his chest. Aracelle and Mace felt his presence and stopped mid-liplock to see who was there. Aracelle feigned a gasp and Mace threw daggers at Trunks with his eyes.

"Am I interrupting something?" Trunks asked sarcastically, trying to keep his temper in check.

Mace let go of Aracelle and stepped forward angrily. He opened his mouth to speak but Aracelle squeezed his hand and he stopped himself.

"It's okay," Aracelle said to him and grinned coldly at Trunks. "Mace and I will be together forever now. Our job is done here."

"Right," Mace added and tightened his grip on Aracelle's hand. "Let's go before I hurt this jerk."

Trunks scoffed and stepped out of the way as the couple made their way back down. "Moron…" he mumbled lividly. He walked around the lookout and found Charisma on the opposite side of where Mace and Aracelle had been. He stopped in his place and noticed the gleaming look in her eye as she stared out towards the distant ocean.

'She looks okay. Didn't they notice she was here?' He was snapped out of his thoughts when Charisma turned her head and saw him.

"Oh," she brightened up. "You actually came up."

"Yeah," he replied. "You…didn't see it did you?"

Charisma's smile fell and she looked at him curiously. "See what?"

Trunks remained silent.

Charisma looked at him weirdly before stifling laughter. "Oh my…you walked in on someone, didn't you?"

Trunks blushed at her and nodded. "Yeah…it was really awful!"

Charisma laughed out loud and he relaxed as he laughed with her, coming to her side. Somehow, he felt completely relieved. She hadn't seen Mace or Aracelle at all as they were much too impatient to walk around to the other side. Instead, they contented themselves with stopping as soon as possible to make out.

"You came at just the right time, though," Charisma said as she turned to the window. "The sun is about to set over the ocean." She quickly grabbed Trunks by the arm and led him back to the window. "It's really beautiful how the sea is sparkling as if it's filled with stars. I've never seen the sunset over the sea like this."

The two stared out towards the sun as it began descending on the other end of the planet. A cool, sea breeze blew by and tossed their hair back softly. Charisma sighed and ran her hand threw her hair.

"This is nice, isn't it?"

Trunks could barely control his breathing. For some reason, it became harder to breathe right and harder to concentrate on the sunset. He couldn't even control his eyes as they shifted over to Charisma every few seconds.

Misa's words began repeating in his mind, like an echo._ "…If a couple is to kiss at the top of the lighthouse, their future will be a bright one…The couple will be together forever…"_

'I know I don't believe in this,' he thought to himself. 'But…' His mind trailed off as his eyes focused on her soft, peachy looking lips. Her voice replayed in her mind now, too.

"_That sounds so romantic! Just the thought of being up there alone with a special someone…" _

'I really shouldn't be thinking about this…' he thought, feeling his breath becoming much shallower. 'What's wrong with me?'

"_I believe in fate. But I believe we influence it by the choices we make and the things we do."_

'…If I do this…then maybe…'

Charisma looked up at him and smiled, and it threw him off. "It's breathtaking, isn't it? Keep your eyes out on the horizon! It's setting!"

Trunks nodded and looked forward, his eyes shifting back to her. '…I can't…' he sighed and cleared his throat in an attempt to shake off his feelings. '…But there are much more beautiful things in this world than a sunset…'

The light above them suddenly turned on with a loud click startling the two.

"Oh?" Charisma looked up to see the beams of light rotating and spreading across the now darkened sky. She giggled and looked at Trunks, locking in his eyes. "I wonder if the light turning on like that signals good luck, too."

She looked down at her hands. 'How romantic would it be to kiss and have that light turn on right as we do it?' she grinned to herself but shook off the feelings. 'I'm too much of a dreamer…'

Back at the bottom of the lighthouse, Goten and Misa noticed the two people standing at the window of the lighthouse.

"Hey, there he is!" Goten said pointing. "It looks like he made it up in time!"

"I'm so happy!" Misa said happily.

Aracelle at that moment walked out of the lighthouse with Mace and noticed Misa and Goten pointing towards the top of the tower. Aracelle glowered at them and turned to look up.

"Mace, baby, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" she asked slowly.

Mace stared at her with confusion and looked up as well. "Trunks and Charisma?" He grumbled angrily. "So that's what he was up to! That idiot!"

"Yeah, he really has some nerve to interrupt us like that just so that he can be alone with her," spewed Aracelle, crossing her arms. She lifted her chin up in the air haughtily. "Let's go."

"They're going back up, Goten!" Misa suddenly said, interrupting the happy moment.

"What?" Goten asked in surprise. They exchanged a glance and swiftly raced over just in time to stand in front of the doorway, cutting off Aracelle and Mace from their path. Aracelle and Mace growled in unison.

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing? Get out of the way!" Aracelle demanded as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Make me!" Misa shot back. "I'm not moving!"

"I'm not either," Goten agreed and crossed his arms. "You've already had your turn up there."

"Shut up and move out of the way!" Mace raised his angrily. "What is wrong with you two?"

"What's wrong with us?" Misa repeated with a sneer. She hated Mace's guts now completely after what he had done to her best friend. "Why don't you look at yourselves first?"

Aracelle tightened her fists and stepped closer to Misa. "Don't talk to my boyfriend in that tone, stupid."

"I'll say whatever I want to say to him!" Misa growled, turning her attention to Mace again. "I can't believe I ever considered you a friend. How can you act so coldly towards Charisma when you used to always tell her how much you loved her? You're so stupid for believing anything that comes out of this trash's mouth!"

"That's none of your business!" he hollered back.

"When it concerns my friends, it is my business! Apparently, neither of you would know what that feels like since you spend so much time smelling each others farts!"

Aracelle lifted her hand and swung it at Misa. She gasped when found herself face to face with Charisma, who had gripped her wrist tightly and was staring at her angrily in the eye. Aracelle pulled her wrist back and felt slightly afraid after getting a few glimpses into how unusually strong Charisma was. Still, her pride allowed her to hide those feelings and push them aside after a quick second.

"You're swinging at the wrong person," Charisma growled and stood in front of Misa.

"If only words could describe how much I hate you," Aracelle sneered angrily. "You make me sick; I can't even stand the sight of you."

Charisma crossed her arms. "If that's the case, then start walking unless you want this to escalate further. Go on! Shoo!" Charisma motioned her to leave with her hand as if she were swatting away mosquito.

Aracelle bit her lip and growled. She grabbed Mace's hand and led him away. "Let's go. We don't need to waste our time with these morons."

The four friends watched as Aracelle and Mace stomped away. Mace looked back locking eyes with Charisma. Charisma felt fine until he threw that look at her and her confident demeanor dissolved.

Misa sighed and shook her head. "I would've just loved to see her lay a hand on me! It would've been ON then!" she said, snapping her finger. She turned to Charisma and smiled. "But thanks for helping…" She noticed the look on Charisma's face and frowned. "Hey what's wrong?

Charisma took a deep breath and shook her head. "Nothing…what was that all about anyway?"

Misa blushed, knowing she had kind of started it. "Nothing really…she was just getting on my nerves."

"Girls can be pretty scary when they're mad," declared Goten. "I'm shaking…"

"I have to agree with you on that one, Goten," Trunks said as he came up beside him.

The sound of a whistle suddenly tore through the air. The students that were lounging around turned to see their teachers signaling them to head over to the bus.

"Oh, it's time to go home already?" asked Charisma. "Aww, we had so much fun today…"

"Really," Misa said sadly. "But I guess we can come back here on own someday."

"True!" Charisma agreed and the friends walked towards the bus.

The students quickly boarded the buses and they headed off on the way back to school where the students would then head on home. Charisma once again sat beside Trunks. She yawned lazily and rubbed her eyes.

"I'm so sleepy…I had fun, but I'm so tired now…" she looked up at him. "Did you have fun, too?"

Trunks smiled at her. "Yeah, I actually did. I don't go out that often. I guess this was nice."

"That sunset was beautiful," Charisma said dreamily crossing her hands over her heart. "I'll never forget that…" She sighed and shut her eyes. "I know you probably didn't mean to go up there with me, but I'm glad you came."

Trunks felt slightly guilty for leaving her alone up there. After all, she probably would've had to deal with Mace and Aracelle on her own. He put his hand around her shoulder, catching her by surprise.

'Maybe this is too much,' he thought. '…But it feels right."

Charisma felt her heart beating wildly in her chest. Her eyes remained on her lap. 'What should I do?' she thought. She sighed and slowly leaned towards him, placing her head on his shoulder once again.

"_I believe in fate. But I believe we influence it by the choices we make and the things we do."_

He remembered her words, and he wondered. 'Then…maybe I can believe in fate, too…'

* * *

_No kiss, just yet! No confession, just yet! They're both coming up soon so keep on reading and I promise I'll update sooner than six months! Please review!_


	21. All for You

_Author's Note: _Hello! Sorry for the long wait! It's been almost five months since my last update. So sorry (bows head in shame). I've been so busy with work and school and I've had a terrible case of writer's block. Last night, I don't kow what happened but I finally had a break through, and BAM! This chapter happened!

This is actually two chapters merged into one. My original plan would've left this chapter very short and not making much sense, so I think merging the two chapters was the best thing to do. I'm pretty pleased with the way it came out, though I'm not 100 percent sure of it. If you find any mistakes along the way, let me know. I've reread it a few times but I just really wanted to get this up ASAP for everyone.

A very special thanks to everyone who continues to review this story. You really keep me going and encourage me to keep working to update and battle with that terrible writer's block. So thanks and please continue to send me your comments/questionse/etc. Also feel free to check out my DeviantArt account (link in my profile), where I post fanart of this story.

Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 21:

All for You

"So who's taking you to prom, Misa?" Charisma asked as the two friends carried their trays to the lunch table on Monday afternoon. The cafeteria was loud and bustling as usual with rowdy and diverse students all around.

Misa shrugged and grinned haughtily as the girls took their seats. "Well, I've gotten quite a few offers," she said happily, trying to keep herself from sounding too excited. "I'm still not sure who to pick though…"

Charisma clapped her hands quietly to cheer Misa. "Aww…how lucky…I haven't received any invitations yet…"

"Really?" Misa asked, sounding surprised. Charisma nodded her head but waved her hand as if to shoo the thought away.

"Yeah, but it's okay…it'll be fun with all of us there, right? None of us will be alone."

"…Except for Trunks," Goten butted in as he suddenly took a seat in front of the girls and let his tray smack against the table.

"What?" Charisma asked as she quickly turned to face him. "But why?"

"You already know how he is," Goten said casually before digging into his lunch, the contents of which slightly spilled over sloppily when he slammed the tray. "It's really no surprise, though it is a shame."

"That dummy…" sighed Misa as she crossed her arms and shook her head. "Tsk, tsk. As always, Trunks the party pooper… I'm starting to think the word 'fun' doesn't exist in his dictionary."

Charisma felt her shoulders fall slightly. She turned her head around to watch Trunks as he grabbed his lunch. Misa noticed the dazed look on Charisma's face and nuzzled her with her elbow.

"So…do you agree to bribe him?"

"Huh?" Charisma swirled around immediately.

"Yeah, do it!" Goten said enthusiastically. "We all know he can't possibly say 'no' to you."

"What are you talking about?" Charisma felt herself blushing. "Of course he says 'no' to me. He does it all the time."

"You're so oblivious…but it's so cute!" exclaimed Misa with her hands over her heart. "But can you try to convince him to go?"

Charisma shrugged and smiled at her friends. "I was planning on do that from the start."

"I knew it!" Misa held her hand up in victory.

Before she could say anything else, Goten noticed that Trunks was heading over and signaled for the girls to remain silent. Trunks arrived to find the group eating their lunch calmly…too calmly.

"…What's wrong now?" he asked solemnly while waiting for a fallout of some sort.

Charisma lifted her eyes to him as he sat in front of her. She took a deep breath and smiled wide and happily. Trunks flinched slightly, taken off guard.

"Trunks! So are you looking forward to prom?" she inquired, keeping her voice cheerful and her eyes large and innocent.

Trunks took a deep breath and shook his head. "…I thought about it, but I don't think I want to go."

Charisma's smile faded slightly but she recovered after a few seconds. "Really? How come?"

Trunks shrugged. "Honestly, I don't see any point in going. I'm not really into parties very much. I don't dance. So I don't see why I should go…that's all…"

Charisma's smile faded completely and she shook her head. "What does that matter? We'll all be together, even if we're not dancing. We'll still have fun. This is the last major thing we're gonna do before graduation. Aren't you looking to make more memories with us?"

"Charisma, please don't try to guilt me into going," he said suddenly.

Charisma frowned.

"I've already made up my mind…"

Charisma sighed and looked down at her food. Misa and Goten exchanged a glance and followed along by remaining silent. Trunks sighed and crossed his arms. "I don't see why it's such a big deal."

Charisma nodded reluctantly. "You're right…"

Misa and Goten looked at her quickly.

Charisma turned to Misa and grinned. "Well, if there are any guys you don't want to go with, just send them my way, all right?"

Misa smiled and nodded her head. "Sure!"

Trunks lifted his eyes from his food to look at the two. Goten noticed this and chuckled to himself. 'I knew we could count on her!'

…

That evening, Charisma headed over with Trunks to his house for another round of last minute studying. After greeting Bulma and Bulla at the door, Charisma and Trunks headed for the main living room. They took their usual seat on the ground at centered coffee table. Setting their things down, they quickly took out their notebooks and materials and got on to studying.

"…You're really not going with us, huh?" Charisma inquired, suddenly breaking the silence.

"I'm trying to study," muttered Trunks without even prying his eyes off his work.

Charisma sighed and put her pencil down. "I'm only asking…" she mumbled as she cracked the fingers.

"I know you," Trunks replied blankly, still working.

"You might regret it someday. This is a once in a lifetime thing, you know. So what if you can't dance? There are people who are horrible dancers but do it anyway! Who cares what anyone else thinks?"

"I'm not listening…"

Charisma frowned and turned to him. she watched as he continued scribbling equations and numbers onto the white sheet of his notebook.

"Please? I really want you to be there with us," she protested. Trunks remained silent and Charisma took a deep breath. She really did want him to go, probably even more than Goten or Misa wanted for him to go. Her motives for wanting to convince him to attend were probably more selfish than she even realized.

"Sorry, but no," he finally said blankly. Charisma didn't know what else to say, until she registered a thought that suddenly came out as words from of her mouth.

"Even if I ask you to go with me?" she exclaimed loudly enough for it to seemingly echo in the large room.

There was an immediate silence. An awkward silence.

Charisma's hands instinctively lifted up to her mouth as if she'd said something completely inappropriate. She turned around to face the opposite direction to avoid the surprised looked that Trunks would surely have on his face.

That statement definitely pried Trunks' attention off his homework. He sputtered before collecting his thoughts as he felt his cheeks burning. "…What?"

Charisma shook her head. It took a moment to compose herself. She slowly turned herself around, shyly lifting her eyes to his. She felt her heart jump to her throat.

"…That's…not what I meant," she choked out with a pout. "…Don't look at me like that…"

Charisma knew she was lying. Only she didn't mean to ask him. She didn't think he'd say yes, but she did expect his reaction to be exactly like this. Not that it made her feel any better.

"…Are you that desperate for a date?" Trunks finally said. Charisma was taken aback by his blunt comment.

"What? No!" she quickly snapped her cheeks still red. "When I said 'me' I meant 'us.' You know, Goten, Misa, and me."

"I see," Trunks replied and turned back to his work. It was no use now, though. His concentration had been completely broken. Charisma bit her lips and face-palmed and she turned away from him again and attempt to focus on her school work. Her concentration had been broken long ago.

"…it just won't feel right without you there, Trunks," she said softly. "The four of us have always done everything together. This is the last event before graduation, where we can see all of our classmates together having fun before graduation. I feel like it means a lot to everyone because of what it signifies: our passage into adulthood and the rest of our lives. Things won't be easy anymore once we're adults."

Trunks lifted his eyes to her. Her eyes were nostalgic as she traced the torn edges of her notebook. "I'd hate for you to miss it. It won't feel the same. Goten and Misa feel this way, too. But if you really feel that strongly against it, then I'm not going to ask you anymore."

Charisma forced herself to continue jotting down notes and work into her notebook. Trunks took a deep, exhausted breath. "You're really something…"

Charisma looked up at him instantly. "What do you mean?"

Trunks folded his arms across his chest and faced forward towards the television. "I'll rethink it, okay?"

Charisma couldn't contain the smile on her face. "You mean it?"

"I didn't say yes," he swiftly said and looked at her. "Only that I'll think about it again…"

"I know, I know," Charisma answered with a grin and nudged his arm with her elbow. "It's better than saying no. You won't regret it!"

Trunks smiled back down at her. "Right."

"Well, I guess I'd better go," Charisma said cheerfully as she stood up and stretched her arms over her head lazily.

"Already?" asked Trunks with surprise.

"Yeah," Charisma replied and gathered her things. "You'll be fine without me, won't you?"

"Sure, but…" Trunks shook his head. "Whatever. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Okay!" Charisma hurried and headed out the door.

...

"So what did he say?" Misa asked as the girls gathered at their lockers the next morning.

"Well, he hasn't budged much," informed Charisma as she dug into the contents of her locker. "But I did get him to at least start thinking about it."

Misa clapped her hands happily. "Yes! That's great! Then that means we can still convince him to say yes somehow. Not all hope is lost."

Charisma shut her locker and smiled at Misa. "Yup. But I'm at a loss of what to do now. How can I get him to say yes?"

Misa and Charisma began walking off through the student-filled hallways of the school. "Let me think of something, okay? I think I have a plan…"

"Really? A plan?" Charisma inquired as her eyes widened with surprise. Misa wasn't one who usually planned on anything. "What are you thinking of?"

"Hmm, you'll see…" Misa grinned and headed into a different corridor than Charisma to her first class of the day. "I'll see you later!"

Charisma waved weakly as an uneasy feeling filled her being. She brushed it aside and decided to trust in Misa's reasoning and headed off to class.

...

Misa entered her first class and quickly took her seat beside Goten. She grinned over at him. "Good news: Trunks might reconsider going to the prom," she informed him.

Goten looked at her and held up a fist victoriously. "Yes! Charisma was able to sway him, right?"

"Of course," Misa replied as if it were obvious. "Only, we've got to make sure he agrees to go for sure, and that he does in fact keep his word and go. I've got a plan, but we can't tell Charisma, as well as Trunks."

Goten looked at her strangely. "Why not? Isn't she the best weapon we have in our hands?"

"I'm not saying she's not going to help us. She definitely will." Misa stopped talking when she saw the professor heading into the class. He greeted the array of students, who unenthusiastically greeted back. This particular professor was as boring and strict as a professor could get: every student's nightmare, practically.

Misa tuned the professor out as he spoke and leaned into Goten to whisper her plan. "You've noticed just as much as I have that they probably have feelings for each other, right?"

Goten peered over at her and whispered. "Yeah…we're going to set them up?"

"Yup!" Misa chuckled.

"Miss Suna," the professor called out her name sternly, causing her to shut up instantly.

"Yes, professor!" she replied, sitting up and folding her hands on the desk innocently.

"You seem energetic today," he deadpanned and held out a piece of chalk. "Please, come up here and show us what you did on the first problem from last night's homework."

Misa frowned and reluctantly scurried to the board.

...

Charisma was sitting in her bed that night and flipping through her textbook. Her television was on a drama, to which Charisma was increasingly being distracted away from her studying. Her eyes budged when they darted back to the screen. "Kyah! I can't believe he just did that!" She tossed her book carelessly onto the bed and grabbed a pillow to sit on the ground in front of the television.

"_Let's be together," the handsome male lead told the beautiful female protagonist. _

"_But your entire family disapproves," she cried. "I don't want to ruin anything for you…"_

"_You're all that matters to me…"_

Charisma squirmed in her place. "How sweet! I wonder what's gonna happen next…!" Charisma was frightened by the sudden ringing of her cell phone as it sat on her desk at the other end of the room. "Oh, what now?"

Reluctantly, and with her eyes still on the screen she hurried to pick it up. "Hello?"

"Hi Charisma!" a perky voice spoke on through the receiver.

"Misa!" Charisma greeted. "What's up?"

"Tomorrow's Saturday and none of us have anything to do," explained Misa. "You wanna go see a movie or something? I'm going to invite Goten and Trunks to come along, too."

"Oh, that sounds fun," agreed Charisma enthusiastically. "It _has_ been a while since we've all hung out together. Where are we meeting?"

"Let's meet at the mall downtown at around noon, all right?"

"Cool!"

"Great! I'll see ya tomorrow."

"Okay. Goodnight, Misa." Charisma shut her phone and smiled. Her smile immediately died when she whirled around and found commercials playing on the television instead of her drama. "KYAH! I missed it!"

...

Sure enough, Charisma was at the center mall in downtown West City at noon, all by herself. She stared down at her wrist watch and frowned.

"Where is everyone?" she wondered and flipped open her cell phone. Misa hadn't called or anything. Charisma figured maybe she was running late. Trunks was making his way over from the opposite end of the street with his hands in pockets. He noticed Charisma standing at the entrance to the mall.

"She's early," he remarked and headed over. "Hey," he greeted as he stood beside her.

"Hi!" she said happily. "I'm so glad you're here. I thought everyone had ditched me."

"Are they late?"

"Yup. I can't believe Misa would be late. It was all her idea for us to come here together, after all." Charisma's cell phone chimed a cute tune and Charisma opened it. "Oh, new text…" Trunks looked at her and watched as her face fell.

"What's wrong?"

"Misa says she woke up with a fever and can't get out of bed," Charisma said gloomily as she punched buttons to send a reply. "What terrible luck. I hope she gets better soon."

"That's strange," remarked Trunks but thought nothing of it. "But what about Goten?" Trunks' phone chimed at the sound of Goten's name as if perfectly on cue. Trunks grabbed his phone out of his pocket and frowned when he read the message. "Goten is bailing on us."

Charisma gasped and looked over at Trunks' phone. "Tell everyone I'm sorry," Charisma read out loud. "I have a date planned for tonight. I totally forgot about it when Misa asked if we could hang out. I can't go. Have fun without me."

Charisma and Trunks exchanged a glance.

"So…I guess it's just us then, huh?" Charisma said softly.

Trunks nodded and put away his phone. "I guess it can't be helped. So what do you want to do?"

Charisma put way her phone as well and shrugged. "I don't know. You want to get something to eat first? I kind of rushed out of the house and didn't really eat much."

"That's no good," Trunks remarked as they began heading into the mall together. "You shouldn't skip meals."

"What are you, my doctor?" chuckled Charisma as she playfully shoved at his shoulder. "I'm fine, thank you."

...

Trunks and Charisma sat at a table in the food court where they munched silently on pizza. "Have you found a date yet?" asked Trunks out of nowhere.

Charisma was taking a sip of soda and almost spit it out when he asked. "No…not yet…why do you ask?"

"…I'm just curious," he replied casually. "You seemed bent on finding a date."

"Really?" Charisma replied quietly with her eyes cast downwards. "That's not really the case. I'm not really worried about not having a date or anything. While it would be fun, the most important thing for me is being with my friends. Nothing else matters." She grinned up at him, batting her eyelashes innocently.

Trunks stared at her silently. Her smile faded. "What is it?" she asked curiously.

"You have pizza sauce on your cheek."

"Eek!" Charisma squirmed and quickly reached over the table to grab a napkin. Her wrist bumped into her cup of soda and knocked it over. Luckily, she grabbed it quickly enough as to not let too much of it spill over, but just enough to cover a nice area of the table.

Trunks laughed to himself at seeing her so frantic. 'Looks like someone's lying…' he thought to himself. Charisma used the napkins to clean the spilled soda with the sauce still lingering on her cheek, totally forgotten.

"I'm such a klutz," she mumbled with her cheeks flushed in shame. Her lips puckered together to form her usual childish pout.

Trunks shook his head and grabbed a napkin. While Charisma was still wiping the table, Trunks reached out and gently wiped the sauce off her cheek. Charisma froze when she felt it and lifted her eyes shyly up to him.

"It's not a big deal," he said, sounding amused.

"Don't laugh at me," she continued pouting and stopped cleaning. "And what about you? Have you considered asking anyone?"

Trunks scoffed at the idea. "There isn't anyone I'm really looking forward to taking if I in fact decide to go. If I go, it'll be alone and I'm completely fine with that."

Charisma sighed and nodded her head. "I suppose…but you know; there are lots of girls in school who'd love a chance to go with you. I've had girls come up to me and ask if you're available."

Trunks' eyebrows lifted curiously. "For real? What did you tell them?"

Charisma grinned. "…I told them you were, but weren't at the same time. Isn't that the truth?"

"You did well," Trunks smirked back at her. "Most of those girls are like hyper teeny boppers."

"That's mean," Charisma retorted, yet couldn't help but laugh. "You have more admirers than you deserve."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he protested.

Charisma laughed and stood up from her seat. "I'm done. Should we continue?"

...

Trunks and Charisma avoided shopping. Mostly because Charisma knew how much Trunks detested it and would detest it much more if Charisma was his shopping buddy for the day. Instead, they headed directly for the video game arcade on the lower level of the mall.

Trunks was an excellent player at pretty much every game. Charisma greedily took his tickets. He didn't care about the prizes anyway.

"I'm so glad I came with you!" Charisma cheered as the basketball game machine spit out tickets as if hitting a jackpot. "I'm going to get something really awesome at the prize counter!"

"You're such a kid," Trunks teased as he threw his last shot.

"Great job!" the machine announced as it spurted out a couple more tickets.

"Look who's talking," Charisma shot back and blew a raspberry at him. She turned and ran over to the prize counter where she quickly picked out the largest teddy bear she could afford with the tickets.

Charisma carried it proudly to where Trunks sat at one of the racing games. "Isn't this the coolest thing ever?" she exclaimed. "You're like a good luck charm! Thanks for the tickets."

"I still think you're a kid," replied Trunks flatly, as he stared up at her blankly. He groaned loudly as a mass of fuzzy white faux fur hit him in the face. "Hey!"

Charisma had shoved the large fluffy bear in his direction and laughed as she walked off. "I'm going to get some more tokens. I'm going to beat you at that racing game."

"In your dreams," he yelled back.

Charisma walked past a group of four guys around her age on the way to the token machine. She stood at the machine gathering her money she noticed them approaching. They stopped around her and she grinned at them.

"You can go ahead," Charisma said sweetly, moving away to allow them to get their tokens first.

"You're very nice," one of them said smoothly. "You go to Orange High, don't you?"

Charisma nodded her head. "Yeah. Oh, you do, too?"

"Well, I used to," he replied. "Not anymore though. They didn't want me there."

Charisma's eyebrows furrowed curiously. "Oh, that's too bad." She continued counting her money.

"They just didn't like me," he announced. "But I used to see you walk through the halls and at gym all the time. I always thought you were really cute."

Charisma blushed and scratched her arms nervously. "Thanks…" She keep her eyes focused on the coins in her hand. 'I don't like this guy,' she thought to herself.

"Why don't you hang out with us?" he proposed and came closer to her.

"You mean right now?"

"Yeah, is that a problem?"

"Kind of…I'm with someone…" Charisma pointed at a direction. The guys looked over to see Trunks eyeing them hotly from the other end of the arcade.

"Oh, that guy," the boy said as if it were nothing important. "Just ditch him. It'll be worth it to hang out with us instead. We know how to have fun."

"What?" Charisma asked and shook her head immediately. "Sorry, but no."

"Aww," the guy said, pretending to be hurt. He reached out for her hand and clutched onto her wrist. Charisma gasped and squirmed uncomfortably. Before she could say anything, she felt someone instantly latch onto her shoulders and draw her back into their chest. The main creep suddenly let her wrist go.

Charisma looked back while expecting it to be one of this creep's friends and getting her fist ready to swing. She immediately relaxed when she looked up at Trunks' stern face.

"Let's go, Charisma," Trunks said lowly and began steering her away.

"Hey!' the creep called out. "We were talking to her!"

Trunks ignored him and his friends as they called out. He continued steering Charisma out of the arcade.

"Trunks!" she protested with a frown. "What about my bear?"

Trunks steered her near the game he'd been sitting at and she quickly grabbed the large bear and hugged it closely as Trunks led her out of the arcade.

"Be careful with those kinds of people," Trunks said, grabbing her by the hand and leading her on as they continued walking, without even realizing it.

"I kind of already knew that," Charisma told him. "I didn't like the vibes he was giving off."

"He was expelled from school for assaulting a classmate," Trunks informed her. "We used to be in the same class."

"Really?" Charisma replied, sounding slightly surprised. "What a creep! I knew something was up!" Charisma brushed it off and smiled sweetly up at Trunks. "You really don't have to be so worried, though. I can defend myself."

Trunks sighed and stopped walking which caused Charisma to bump into his shoulder. He realized she was right after all, but then turned back to realized he'd been holding her hand tight for the last minute or so. Their eyes met and Charisma blushed as she slowly took her hand back.

"In any case, I appreciate that you were worried about me," she said gently. She laced her arm around his and smiled warmly. "It's good to know I have someone like you on my side, Trunks. I feel almost invincible."

"…Same here," he replied faced forward. 'More than you know,' he thought to himself.

"Huh?" she asked, not sure what he was talking about. "How do I-?"

"It's nothing," Trunks shook his head and brushed off the question. The two began walking towards the movie theater.

...

Charisma and Trunks sat in the back of the dark theater watching an action movie. Charisma wasn't into this kind of movie but didn't protest it because she knew Trunks' taste in movies was the opposite of hers. It didn't matter to her much anyway. She couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable with nervousness as they sat amongst other movies goers. Some were with a large group of friends, like Trunks and Charisma had planned. Others were there with their dates, much like Trunks and Charisma looked like now.

Charisma realized how close to a date this was at that moment and blushed. She was grateful that the darkness masked her face perfectly.

As the movie went on, Charisma's eyes would dart from the screen to Trunks. At one point, Trunks' eyes darted to hers and perfectly in time to meet with hers.

Charisma squirmed. 'Did he notice? I need to stop!' Charisma looked forward and blushed.

"Are you _that_ bored?" he said. "You want to leave?"

"No, no," she responded and grabbed the popcorn and stuffed her face. Trunks chuckled and faced forward again.

When Trunks and Charisma stepped outside of the mall to head home, the sun had long gone down the sky was dark. White streetlights illumined the way as they walked back to their houses. Charisma hugged the teddy bear tightly like a child would. Trunks peered over at her and chuckled.

"You really look like a kid holding the bear like that," he remarked.

Charisma glared up at him. "Oh shush, you!" she responded but grinned back at him.

The ten minute walk back to their houses was mostly silent. The silence wasn't awkward or uncomfortable, though. Charisma was content enough with being able to walk with him. Her eyes were on her feet, studying the ground as she realized their footsteps matched one another. She smiled to herself like a little girl.

'This kind of does feel like a date,' she thought to herself. 'It's kind of weird to think of it like that, though…'

The two eventually stood in front of the Capsule Corp house. Trunks noticed Charisma's smile as she stopped at the edge of the street to cross over to her house.

"What's with that smile?" he asked curiously. "You're not plotting anything, are you?"

Charisma turned around to face him and shook her head. "Don't be silly. Of course not. I'm just glad that out of everyone, you showed up today. It seems we barely get to hang out together. It's really nice."

"That's true," Trunks agreed and came closer to her. Charisma's eyes fell to the ground and she watched as their shadows merged. Her eyes lifted back up to him. "I actually had a good time, too. I was thinking you'd spend all day trying to convince me to go to prom."

"I wouldn't do that," Charisma protested as she clutched her bear tighter. "If you want to go, then I'll be happy. Everyone will be happy. But I can't make you do anything you don't want to do. I know it would be futile to convince you otherwise sometimes."

"You know me very well," he chuckled. He took her by surprise when he patted her head. "I've thought about it. I think I want to go."

Charisma stared up at him wordlessly and simply blinked for a few seconds. "…You mean it?"

Trunks smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah…"

"Kyah!" Charisma squealed and instantly hugged him tight, dropping her bear in the process. She squealed again when she saw her bear hit the dirty ground and picked it up. She dusted it off frantically and smiled back up at Trunks. "I'm so happy! I'm glad you're coming."

"Don't expect me to dance or anything," he added right away. "I'm just going to hang out with you guys."

"Fair enough!" Charisma replied as she composed herself. "Well, then I'll see you later. Thanks for everything, Trunks."

Charisma ran across the street towards her house. She turned back once she reached her door and waved before opening the door and disappearing inside. Trunks smiled back and began walking towards his house. He chuckled to himself as he opened the door and went inside.

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed! This chapter was a ton of random thoughts thrown together, so I hope it made some sense. Next chapter will be their prom, and something really BIG is gonna happen. I've been plotting it from the beginning. It'll be a real turning point for the story. So please stay tuned and I'll do my best to get it out very soon! Please leave me feedback :) Thanks!_


	22. Get it Together

_Author's Note: _Hello again everyone! Sorry for the delay. It seems my updates are taking longer and longer to do. I've been so active on DeviantArt that I've barely had time to work on finish this chapter. Hopefully the next update won't take this long.

Anyway, so here's the chapter where everything starts changing between Trunks and Charisma...or rather, it fully takes place next chapter. It would've been this chapter but it was so long that I had to cut it into two separate parts. But now that I have that entire scene taking place next chapter, I've already got a good amount of material to work on for my next update. Plus next chapter, you'll also get to see and hopefully understand Charisma's reasons for resenting Mace and Aracelle, especially (if there aren't enough reasons for that, as it is.)

I hope you guys like this. It took forever to write and get my ideas straight. Please let me know if you run into any mistakes. I've reread it a few times and I probably will read it again once my mind is fresh. I've just been crazy to get this updated before the month's end. Enjoy!

Chapter 22:

Get it Together

Charisma and Misa hurried towards their lockers on Monday morning, chatting happily as always about everything.

"So, how was Saturday?" Misa asked, burying her face into her locker in an attempt to keep Charisma from seeing her smile.

"It was really fun," Charisma said as she fumbled for her textbooks. "I just find it so weird how both you and Goten couldn't show up…I was looking forward to the four of us hanging out."

Misa began sweating a bit. Luckily, it was obscured by the metallic locker door. Charisma sighed and shut her locker. "But, I really did have fun. And guess what?"

Misa finally shut her locker and peered over at Charisma curiously. "What?"

"Trunks agreed to go to prom," Charisma grinned and held up a peace sign triumphantly.

Misa squealed happily and held up a fist. "Yes! I knew you could do it! We're all going to have such a great time together. I just know it!" The two girls began heading down the hall towards their classes.

"Yeah, I'm so happy," Charisma agreed. "Have you found someone to go with?"

"Well," Misa began with a sigh, sounding a bit bummed. "I don't really know who to go to prom with…" Misa stopped talking abruptly when she noticed Goten whizzing past behind the trails of a girl.

"Hey, hey," the two girls heard him say sweetly to the other student. "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you to your class? Carry your books?" His voice faded out into the noise of the rowdy hallway as he disappeared from sight almost as quickly as he'd appeared.

Charisma rolled her eyes and glanced over at Misa who looked like she was about ready to march over there and chase Goten around the school a few times. She was totally capable of something like that. Charisma eyed her blankly before suddenly grinning at her.

"Don't look so gloomy," Charisma said at the instant a light bulb above her head flickered on. "I'm sure you'll find someone…"

Misa took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'll make sure to find someone good." She waved her hand at her friend as the two departed towards separate hallways. "I'll see you at lunch!"

"'Kay!" Charisma replied as she waved back. She watched Misa continue her way down the hall to a stairwell and head up. Charisma smiled to herself. "Let's see what I can do…"

…

Charisma headed to her first class and greeted Trunks once they sat at their desks. Class went on as usual with little incident. Luckily, Mace remained far from Charisma as possible and she wouldn't have it any other way.

By her second class, Charisma was ready to set her own plans into motion. She quickly took her seat by Goten, who sat at his desk desperately flipping through pages of his notebook.

Charisma chuckled at him. "Cramming?"

"Yup," he chuckled nervously in response, not lifting his eyes off his notes. "I forgot! I can't believe I forgot we have a test today! Mom's going to kill me if I bring home another C!"

Charisma patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Don't worry! You'll do fine." Charisma didn't know whether it was a good idea to interrupt him while he was busy studying, which didn't happen often. "…How's the studying going?" she casually asked.

"We've got five minutes until class starts," he said. "It should be enough…!" He buried his nose deeper into the pages of the book.

Charisma sighed and put her chin on her hand as she propped up her elbow on the desk. "…Do you have anyone you want to take to prom?"

Goten looked up from his notebook. He scratched the back of his head nervously. "I'm…still thinking about it. I don't know yet, to be honest with you."

"Really?" Charisma turned to look at him. "I thought you would've found someone by now."

"Yeah, I guess," he sputtered and buried his face into the notebook again.

"…Why don't you take Misa? She doesn't have a date, either."

Goten flinched slightly and Charisma furrowed her eyebrows. He looked up at slowly at her from his notebook. He shut it and put it on the desk quietly. "…As much as I would like to, I know she wouldn't say 'yes.' So I don't want to bother."

Charisma smiled at him sweetly, her grin growing by the second. It kind of scared him.

"What?" he asked lowly.

"Just ask her, if you really wanna go with her," Charisma said quickly. "Listen, don't tell her I told you this, but Misa is too proud to admit that she wants to go with you."

Goten laughed and scratched the back of his head nervously again. "Really? I doubt it…well, she's definitely proud but I don't think she'd want to go with me…"

"She really does!" Charisma protested. "I promise you. That's why she hasn't accepted anyone else's invitation…she's waiting for you."

Goten shook his head, looking unsure.

Charisma's eyes narrowed playfully. "Aww, don't tell them the super-smooth ladies' man Goten is too shy to ask Misa out…" Charisma cooed teasingly and pinched his cheek.

"Cut it out!" he retorted, swatting her hand away and blushing slightly.

"But really!" Charisma explained. "My gut is telling me she wants you to ask her. Why not try it?"

Goten remained silent.

Charisma's eyes darted thoughtfully to the ceiling. "I know! Let's make a deal." Goten looked at her curiously. "You have to ask Misa, and I promise that I'll do my best to make her say 'yes.'"

"How are you going to do that?" he asked curiously.

"I don't really know, to be honest," Charisma said shrugging her shoulders. "But I know that I can do it. I'll find a way. I'll talk to her. You'll never know how things will turn out of if you don't try, right? Don't tell me you're chicken?" Charisma raised her brows.

Goten stared at her blankly but grinned right back. "You're really something. All right, you win. I'll ask…"

Charisma smiled at him and rubbed the top of his head as if she were petting a kitty. "That's awesome! You can do it!"

"Quit it!" he complained and swatted her hand once again. "I have to keep studying…"

At that moment, the professor walked into class. Goten's face fell. "Oh no! I'm not ready!" he buried his face into his notebook once again. Charisma sweatdropped.

"Next time, I suggest you avoid studying at the last minute, Goten," she advised. Goten chuckled nervously and turned the page.

…

After school, Charisma and Misa headed towards Charisma's house. They planned to spend the rest of the day shopping for dresses and such with their mothers.

"What kind of dress are you going to look for?" Charisma asked Misa as they flipped through the pages of a catalog in her bedroom. The two friends sat with their legs crossed on the floor as they munched on snacks.

"Hmm," Misa hummed thoughtfully. "Something like this!" She pointed at a long halter dress.

"Are you sure you want it to be long?" Charisma asked as she studied the dress. "Aren't you going to dance all night?"

"I can dance with long dresses!" Misa explained. "I've been to so many parties, in so many outfits; I can dance in an octopus costume or a seaweed getup if I had to!"

"You're such a party animal," Charisma chuckled as she flipped the pages.

"Proud of it, too," Misa chimed proudly. "So what about you?"

"I don't know…something short though. I don't party half as much as you do."

"How sad," Misa said in a teasing tone.

Charisma grinned and placed the catalog on her lap. "You know, Goten doesn't have a date for the prom…"

Misa's eyes gleamed a bit but she quickly brushed it off. "So?" she grumbled and crossed her arms, looking away indifferently. "I don't care…he can go with whoever he wants. It's not my business."

Charisma wasn't sure if should've said what she was thinking of saying. Misa would probably flip, but Charisma figured the results might be worth it in the end.

"Why don't you two go together?" she suddenly asked.

Misa immediately scoffed and turned over to look at Charisma so quickly her long hair made a 'swooshing' sound in the air. "No way!" she objected, looking more flustered than annoyed.

"Why not?" Charisma asked. "I don't see anything bad in it. Goten looks like he'll be a lot of fun to go with."

"Then why don't you go with him?"

Charisma blushed and furrowed her brows. "No way!"

"You see?"

Charisma pouted and sighed as she crossed her arms. "…What if he were to ask you? Would you reject him?"

Misa remained silent but tapped her fingers against the shiny hardwood floors.

"So many girls in school flock towards Goten everyday," Charisma explained in an attempt to get through to Misa. "There are girls who I'm sure would throw themselves at him. They're dying to be his date…yet he hasn't picked a single one."

Misa remained silent and her tapping came to a stop.

"…What if he really does want to go with you? Haven't you thought about it…?"

Misa was about to speak. She opened her mouth but was cut off the by shouts of both of the girls' mothers.

"COME DOWN, LADIES!" Misa's mother shouted.

"YEAH, WE'RE READY! WE HAVEN'T GOT ALL DAY!" Charisma's mother screamed at the top of her lungs.

Misa sighed and stood up. "Let's go."

Charisma watched as Misa hurried out of the room. She took a deep breath. "I hope she says yes…"

…

The following day at school was uneventful, except for the buzz of the upcoming party that would take place that weekend. Students could be seen talking about it and asking for dates, especially after school. The four friends made their way through the front courtyard of students who were just lying in the grass and talking.

"This is so exciting," Charisma said happily to her friends. "It's this Friday. Can you believe it?"

"I know!" Misa chimed in as she turned towards her friend. "Just two more days! I can't wait!"

Charisma sighed and looked up at the sky. "Hmm…it seems it might be too late for me to find a date by now…" She frowned but looked over at Misa grinning. "I'm sure you've found someone by now, right?"

"…No," Misa shook her head and looked down. "I don't know what to do…I'm just not interested in any of those guys…"

Charisma shot a quick glance at Goten as he walked behind them with Trunks by his side. She headed over to him and walked beside him and laced her arm within his. "Now?" she whispered, looking over at Misa.

Goten nodded his head. "I'm ready…I'm going for it…Wish me luck."

Charisma smiled and patted his back. "You got it!" Charisma hurried to Trunks side and grabbed onto his arm. He flinched and looked down at her.

"What is it?" he asked. Charisma tiptoed to whisper something in his ear. He grinned down at her and nodded his head. The pair suddenly began running together for a few feet before suddenly darting off into the sky and out of sight.

"Hey!" Misa's face fell as she shouted and ran over to the spot where the pair taken off from. "Where are you going? Wait up!" Misa sighed and turned around to face Goten. "Aren't we going to follow them?"

Goten approached her and completely ignored her question, ready to set his plan into motion. "So Misa," he began after collecting his thoughts. "You said like someone who knows how to have fun, right?"

Misa tensed up a little as she quickly realized how well she knew that tone he was using. A blush quickly swept across her cheeks as she stared at him with confused eyes. It felt different this time, somehow. She wasn't sure why.

"You like someone who loves to dance like no one's watching," he grinned at her. "Hmm…just curious, but have you found a date who can do all that yet?"

Misa became even more flustered and lowered her gaze down as if trying to slowly retreat into a shell. The red color of her cheeks even began reaching her ears like fire. She turned her face way from him slightly, hiding her eyes under her purple bangs. "N-not yet," she sputtered.

"In that case, I've come up with a solution. Why don't you give me the pleasure of being my date?" Goten smoothly offered his hand to her. Misa turned her face back to look at him, feeling slightly flattered and maybe even a little…happy. She looked at his eyes and down to his extended hand, before looking up into his eyes once again as if to confirm what she just heard. Certainly, Goten really had a way with words.

"You know me pretty well, don't you?" he continued with a smile. "You've partied with me enough times to know that, right? Who's the first person you ask to dance with?"

Misa bit her lip as her eyes fell to the ground coyly. She did feel kind of happy and even relieved, but didn't want to show it by jumping at the chance so quickly. At that moment, Charisma's words echoed in her mind. 'So many girls want to be with him. What would you do if that were you?' she had said.

Misa lifted her eyes and her head confidently, regaining her composure. She narrowed her eyes flirtatiously. "Fine, but under a few conditions."

Goten remained with his hand stretched out. He raised a brow curiously. "Yes?"

"One: you dance with me as much as possible. We'll take pictures and stuff, too, so you better be up for it."

"Okay."

"Two: make sure we have the best night ever, one we'll never forget."

"Of course!"

"And three," Misa said as she went up to him. She crossed her arms and leaned in close to him to get his attention. "Keep your eyes on me and only me."

Goten grinned at her handsomely. "Not a problem," he said smoothly.

Misa grinned back and stood up straight. "Then I believe we have a date. Let's do it." She took his hand and smiled wholeheartedly. He echoed her feelings with a smile of his own.

"Shall we go?" he said smoothly. Misa giggled and jumped on his back.

"We shall!" she announced. Goten blasted up and away into the sky.

…

The next few days sped by like a blur, full of many preparations and everyone scurrying to shop at the last minute. Friday evening quickly arrived with the friends and their families gathered at the Capsule Corp house. Whilst the teenagers were upstairs getting ready in their respective rooms, their parents chatted away happily and excitedly at the main living room as they awaited the grand presentation of their children in fancy, mature attire. Even Vegeta was there, although he stood aloof at the other end of the room, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed.

"Presenting!" Bulma's loud voice echoed through the room as she loudly announced. "Goten and Trunks looking dazzling in their tuxedos!"

The other women in the room, Kaylei, Misa's mother, and Chichi quickly stood up off their positions on the sofa and hurriedly took pictures as the boys came down the steps. They chattered excitedly and all at once, it was difficult to hear what any of them were saying. The sound of someone bursting into tears always followed.

Trunks blushed as he stood almost awkwardly at the bottom of the stairs beside Goten, who actually posed for the pictures and seemed to really be enjoying the attention.

"Remind me why I agreed to this again?" he whispered to Goten as they finally headed towards the other side of the living room to take a seat.

Goten grinned at him slyly. "Oh, you'll see…"

Before Trunks could reply to that remark, Chichi headed over to Goten and pulled him up from his seat and into a hug.

"I'm so happy!" she said sweetly. "I'm so proud of you, son."

"Thanks, mom," Goten replied back with a chuckle. Chichi pulled away from him and held up a finger.

"Make sure you behave yourself with Misa," she warned him. "You better not try to pull any funny business. I know you." Goten flinched slightly at her accusation and he could hear Trunks suppress a chuckled from behind him.

"Right," Goten agreed uncomfortably. Chichi smiled warmly at him once again and nodded.

"How are the girls doing?" Kaylei asked as she approached them.

"We have no clue," Trunks mumbled. "They're taking forever…"

"You act like it's just a walk in the park," Bulma said with a chuckle. "Of course they're going to take long. They have to look their best for today, you know."

"Let's go see if we can help them speed things up a little," Misa's mother said as she turned and began heading up the stairs.

"Please do," Trunks added as the women all headed up.

The room became rather silent with just the sound of heels frantically stomping around just above them.

"Sounds like it's going to take some time," Goten said with a grin, recognizing Misa's mumbled voice screaming about something going wrong. After a few more moments, the frantic footsteps slowly subsided and the mothers began descending the stairs. Kaylei and Misa's mother walked together arm in arm.

"Are you guys still awake?" Bulma asked the boys on the couch. They slowly got up on their feet and walked closer to the stairs.

"We're awake, we're awake," Goten said and looked towards the top of the stairs.

"Good, because you won't want to miss this," Bulma added and lifted her voice. "Come down now, girls! Your dates are getting impatient!"

Goten grinned from ear to ear and Trunks was about to protest that statement, considering Goten and Misa were the only dates here.

"We're going to have to come down one at a time!" Charisma called out. "Neither of us want to trip on Misa's dress and fall!"

Bulma sighed. "That's not what we rehearsed…but all right."

The stairs remained empty as neither girls came down.

"You go first…" They heard Misa's hushed whisper.

"What? No, you!" Charisma's whisper followed.

"No, you should go first!"

"Why me? Goten's waiting to see you already!"

"…But I'm nervous…"

"Well me, too…"

"What? What are you nervous about-? ...Oh…I know…"

"Shush!"

"Fine! Rock, paper scissors?"

"Fine!'

Trunks and Goten exchanged a glance as the mothers sighed exasperatedly.

"Will you hurry up already?" Bulma shouted towards the steps. "We're already late!"

Sure enough, Misa came down the stairs slowly and a bit flustered. She smiled at her mother once she made it to the bottom of the stairs and stood back for a picture. She carefully lifted the long yet form-fitting dress as she walked over to Goten.

She smiled up at him shyly. Goten turned back to Trunks and lifted a hand triumphantly. "Yes!" He quickly turned to her and grabbed her by the hands. "You look beautiful! I'm so happy! I'm so happy!"

Misa blushed and pulled away from him. "Oh, stop…"

The mothers turned their attention towards the stairs as Charisma began to descend. Her short dress made it easier for her to head down quickly yet slowly enough for her father to run over and start snapping pictures.

"Dad, please," she mumbled coyly. Her father embraced her once she got to the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm glad I didn't miss this day!" he cried. "Every second I take my eyes off of you, it seems you grow up that much faster…"

Charisma hugged him back before having to force herself to pull away, as if they two were connected with Velcro. "Thanks, Dad. I'll always love you."

He nodded and headed over to his wife where he promptly wrapped his arms around her.

Misa looked back at the guys and grinned. "She looks pretty casual with a short dress on, but I think she pulls it off quite nicely. Still pretty elegant…don't you think…Trunks?" She winked at him. Trunks didn't seem to even register her comment as his eyes remained fixed on something else. Misa elbowed Goten softly and motioned for him to look. "He's gawking! How cute!"

Trunks heard that comment, along with Misa and Goten's childish cackling. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing," Misa grinned. She leaned in closer to him and whispered mischievously. "Don't you wish she was your date?"

Trunks suppressed his annoyance by simply muttering. "…Quiet…" Charisma startled him when he turned around to find her standing right in front of him.

"Hi!" she said innocently. She turned to her other friends. "I guess we can head over now."

…

The group began making their way outside to find a white stretch limo parked in front of the house. It was hard to ignore the large Capsule Corp logo painted on the hood in plain sight it. Trunks raised an eyebrow and glanced at his mother.

"Is this a company vehicle?"

Bulma grinned at him. "Money is tight, son."

"Aren't they rich?" Misa whispered to Charisma. Charisma simply shrugged and they began heading towards the limo and hopped in.

After a twenty minute ride, the limo pulled up in front of a large and fancy looking reception hall. Stepping out of the car, Misa and Goten immediately laced their arms together like a couple would do and made their way towards the building. Feeling awkward, Charisma and Trunks walked towards into the building a short distance away from Misa and Goten while keeping a good amount of space between each other.

It suddenly seemed to dawn on them both that they were probably the only two souls in the entire grade without a date. It might have been an exaggeration, but Charisma was sure she couldn't see anything else other than pairs with their arms intertwined, but like Misa and Goten were.

Misa and Goten happily chatted away with each other about their excitement for the party. Trunks' eyes, meanwhile, peered over at Charisma every few seconds. She didn't seem to notice this at all. Her mind wandered completely until she didn't really pay attention to anything around her.

"…You look beautiful," Trunks said out loud, hoping that only Charisma would be able to hear it. Of course, he was completely wrong. Misa and Goten both became silent and turned their eyes towards the two as they continued walking. It was a miracle they didn't bump into anything. Trunks threw a glare at their direction immediately, almost threatening them to say something funny.

Charisma was snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at him, slightly surprised. "Really? Thanks, Trunks." She smiled up at him wholeheartedly before shyly dropping her gaze. "You look really good, too."

Misa and Goten looked forward again and began giggly lowly amongst themselves. Trunks momentarily smiled down at her before once again throwing a fiery glare towards the couple in front of them. Once inside the large hall, the friends stopped momentarily to awe at the beauty of the hall and the amount of students that were attending.

"Wow, look at this place," Charisma said dreamily as she looked up at the fancy looking lamps that hung from the ceilings.

"Yeah, aren't we lucky?" Misa replied before noticing something from down the hall. "Hey Goten, look!" She pointed straight ahead.

Goten looked towards the direction Misa was pointing at and grinned at her. "Pictures…want to take them now before we get our party on?"

"Yes, let's do it!" Misa turned around to face Charisma and Trunks. "You guys should take a picture, too. It'll be nice." She grinned almost mischievously.

Charisma was about to respond but Trunks cut her off before she could even open her mouth.

"We'll just watch," he said quickly. He turned to Charisma. "Unless you want to take one…"

Charisma turned to her head as she felt a blush creeping up. "…Not unless you want to…"

"I'm not going to be in it, but I don't want to spoil your fun," he said.

Charisma sighed and fought the frown that threatened to spread across her lips. She turned back to face him. "I'll think about it…"

"Hey, let's go while the line is still short!" Goten said, breaking the awkward mood. The group of friends headed over to the photo area and watched as couple after couple, and even groups of friend, took photos together.

"We can all take a picture together," Charisma said happily, feeling better. "It's not just couples. What about it, Trunks?"

Trunks sighed and crossed his arms. "I don't really like pictures…"

"You don't really like anything," Misa deadpanned. Trunks rolled his eyes.

"Your mom is gonna rip your ears off for not getting any photos, Trunks," Goten added. "Didn't she say she wanted a copy of our prom pictures?"

Trunks growled. He had completely forgotten about that. If there was one thing he knew about his mom, it was that she hated to be disappointed and would gladly lecture him for hours on why he should've listened to her. Charisma tried to keep herself from laughing at him, burying her face into her shoulder and looking away.

"NEXT!" the photographer bellowed.

"Oh look, we're next!" Misa exclaimed and grabbed Goten by the arm and dragged him off.

Charisma and Trunks stood remained in their places in the line and watched awkwardly. Misa and Goten happily took their photos with their arms wrapped their arms around each other and smiling happily like a real couple would do. Charisma couldn't help but feel a little left out at the thought of having no date. Her eyes shifted to Trunks who stood aloof with his arms folded across his chest.

'Why does he have to be so stubborn?' she thought to herself as she sulked.

"NEXT!" The photographer called. Misa and Goten hurried over to him and whispered. "Next couple in line!" He pointed a finger at Charisma and Trunks, who immediately exchanged a glance. That shared glance broke once they simultaneously looked Misa and Goten who were grinning slyly, but nervously, and waving for them to come on over.

"It'll be a group pic, if it makes you feel better," Misa said softly as the two approached.

"Fine," Trunks huffed.

Goten stood behind Misa with his arms around her waist in a romantic pose. Charisma and Trunks just stood next to each other uneasily with forced smiles on their faces. The photographer looked into his camera and prepared to take the photo. He frowned and lifted his head to stare at both Trunks and Charisma.

"This doesn't look right," he said and walked over. "It'll look like a much better photo like this…"

Trunks could do little to resist as the man positioned him in a pose similar to the one Misa and Goten were in. The other couple, meanwhile, was grinning brightly at the sight of Trunks with his arms around Charisma.

Charisma couldn't remember the last time she'd blushed so much. Sure, she'd embraced him plenty of times before, but this time it felt very different. She couldn't control her nerves as her eyes dropped to her waist where Trunks had his hands resting softly on her stomach. She slowly lifted her hands and placed them on his and could feel him jump slightly.

'Funny,' she thought to herself. 'It kind of feels like we're on a date again…'

She looked up when the camera man cued and smiled happier than anyone else in the photo. Trunks, meanwhile, was glowering with a deep red color painted on his cheeks. His own nerves had gotten the better of him and didn't allow him to show his own happiness now.

"Good, good," the photographer said proudly. "That picture is going to look wonderful now."

Charisma let out a small sigh of relief and turned her head to look up at Trunks. "That…wasn't so bad, right?"

At that moment, Trunks looked down when he felt her eyes on him. Their eyes met and they remained frozen in the same spot and pose for longer than they'd realized. It wasn't that, he thought to himself. But somehow, he couldn't seem to say or do anything right now, as if his entire being had been stuck in a hypnotized state.

"You can let go now! The picture's over!" they both heard Misa say with a giggle in her voice. Goten was also trying to hold in his laughter as he helped her split the two apart.

At last, the group began making their way towards the main area. "Looks like you two really enjoyed it, huh?" Goten asked and Trunks shook his head.

"Quiet…" he grumbled, still red in the face.

Misa looped her arm around Charisma as they walked on. "He's such a grouch, but he's pretty dreamy too if you really think about it, right?"

"What?" Charisma asked with her cheeks still red as well.

"You look dazed...are his arms that warm?" Misa teased.

"Please drop it," Charisma shook her head looked forward.

…

The friends took their seats together and began eating once the waiters began bringing them their fancy food.

"I've never eaten anything like this," Goten said, greedily gobbling down almost the plate itself along with the food.

"It's pretty fancy," Misa said as she looked at a paper with the menu items listed on it. "I can't even pronounce half this stuff. That's how you know it's fancy!"

Misa and Goten seemed to be the ones talking the entire meal. Trunks remained aloof, as usual. He was surprised to see that even Charisma didn't seem like she wanted to talk. The thought of her actually being quiet for so long scared him a little. Surely, the world was coming to an end soon (again.)

Charisma's eyes were wandering the area, from the non-alcoholic bar to the dance floor, bright with strobe lights. She momentarily glanced at the door to see Mace walking in. She was surprised to feel her heart jumped slightly, until she noticed Aracelle hurrying in through the door and grappling on to his hand.

Misa looked towards her. "What's up?" She followed Charisma's glanced and turned to see the loathed pair walking a distance away. "Aracelle? What the hell is she wearing with that slit ridiculously so high? And red, just like the devil she is!"

"She's looking hot!" Goten said out loud, staring at her also, without even realizing what he just did.

Misa and Charisma both threw glares at him, but Misa actually looked like she was the one who was ready to kill him.

"…What was that?"

Goten flinched and turned to look at her with an apologetic smile and a large drop of sweat hanging on the back of his head. "…I said…she looks terrible! You look a thousand times better! You're beautiful, Misa!"

Misa sighed and her shoulders, tensed with anger, fell slowly. "I thought so…Thanks."

"Ugh, let's go dance!" Goten said, grabbing her by the hand and trying to change the subject.

"Sounds great!" Misa exclaimed and she stood up out her seat. She turned to Trunks and Charisma. "Let's all go together!"

"…I don't dance…" Trunks deadpanned, not even looking up from his empty plate.

"I'll dance later," Charisma said softly. "I should let my food digest first a little."

"Oh, okay," Misa replied. "Don't take too long! We'll be waiting for you both!" Misa and Goten joined the now semi-large and accumulating crowd of students on the dance floor.

Charisma sighed to herself as she watched everyone enjoying themselves. She would've joined in as well, normally. She just wasn't feeling like herself today. Not since the day began.

"Are you okay?" Trunks asked her. She looked over at him and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied quietly. He could easily tell she was lying. As much as it seemed Charisma tried to hide her emotions, he could easily see right through any mask she attempted to wear. Her feelings were always right on her sleeve, whether or not she wanted them to be.

Trunks already knew she still had a raw nerve and decided it would be best to not go into the reason why she was feeling unhappy. He didn't want to ruin her night by reminding her of it.

"I don't want to spoil your fun," he told her instead. "If you want to go up and dance, you should go ahead. Don't feel bad for me sitting it out on my own."

"You're not ruining my fun," Charisma said sweetly. "But you should be up there having fun with everyone. You should try dancing at least once. I'm sure you'll have fun, too."

"I doubt it," he shrugged. "But I'll think about it…"

Charisma smiled at him and clapped her hands. She turned her head to see Mace and Aracelle heading to the dance floor together. She frowned to herself, hoping to have hid it from Trunks.

"…I'm going to the bathroom," she said as she stood up off the seat.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked her, getting a little concerned.

She smiled at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just give me a moment." Trunks watched as she walked off towards the door and out to the hall. He shook his head and crossed his arms.

"What am I going to do with her?" he asked himself.

…

Charisma sighed as she walked out into the main lobby of the building and stood still in her place for a few seconds. She was grateful that now there weren't as many people crowding the halls since the event had already begun. There were probably one or two others standing against the wall at a far end of the place, but that was all.

'I'm so stupid…' she thought to herself as she walked over to chair at the other side of the hall. She slumped down on it and places her elbows on her knees. She buried her face into her hands and took another deep breath. Tears were stinging in the back of her eyes and she felt stupid for being still so sensitive.

She was sure she'd gotten over Mace long ago, but it seemed that every time she saw him she'd take a few steps back. Her mind replayed one of their many conversations about the prom shortly before their breakup.

"_I can't wait!" Charisma had said happily as they discussed it while on a date in a pizzeria. "It's going to be so much fun! And we'll be together, making new memories…"_

_Mace smiled at her handsomely and held her hand from across the table. "I'm glad to see you're excited to go with me."_

"_Why wouldn't I be?" Charisma leaned closer to him over the table. "I can't see myself with anyone else, honestly…"_

_Mace grinned at her and she looked down coyly. "Neither can I…" he purred. _

'So much for that,' Charisma's frown deepened. 'I know I can forget about him…he forgot about me like I wasn't anything to him. It hurts…but I can't keep living in the past. He means nothing to me anymore…'

Charisma lowered her hands and stared down at her charm bracelet gleaming in the light. 'It's all her fault…I lost him because of her. First Trunks and now Mace…this is the second time I lose to her. I swear, if she even tries to come talk to me, I'll…'

Charisma felt her rage building but was cut off when she heard the sound of the door to the main area open. Instinctively, she lifted her head up to see the person who had come in without really putting much thought into it. Charisma's eyes immediately met with the person standing on the other side of the hall.

"Mace…" she said lowly like a whisper. He stared at her with deep eyes that somehow seemed brimming with uncertainty. She stood up quickly with the notion to just walk away before he could say anything and avoid a confrontation.

Her feet, however, remained frozen to the spot in which she stood. No words were exchanged at all for what seemed like an eternity and it made her uneasy. The heavy glance in between the two was making her heart flutter with a thousand and one different emotions. At last, Charisma felt she couldn't handle it anymore and broke the glance by casting her eyes sideways.

'I'm only setting myself up if I allow my feelings to go on,' she thought without even realizing her frown was on full display for Mace to see. She brushed off her feelings as best she could and took her seat again. This time, she avoided looking at him at all.

"…Are you all right?" Mace's smooth voice seemingly echoed in the empty hallway. It was warmer and softer than before. Charisma had almost forgotten what his voice sounded like before they had broken up. Every other encounter with him since then resulted in him sounding cold and indifferent.

Charisma hesitated for a moment before nodding her head. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Mace took a deep breath and hesitantly walked over to the seat beside her and sat. Luckily, the only thing between them was a small table with a fancy looking lamp on it. "That's nice to hear."

Charisma sighed and crossed her arms. She focused her eyes on the flowery print of the wall to her right to avoid looking at him. 'What's he trying to do now?' she wondered feeling frustrated.

"…I don't want to sound weird," he began to say, breaking the momentary silence and awkward vibe. "…but I still think about you sometimes."

Charisma cringed.

"Honestly, I wish things between us hadn't changed. I know there's nothing I can say now that'll change anything, but I want you to know that I don't have any bad feelings for you."

Charisma sighed sadly as she uncrossed her arms and set her hands on her lap. Her gaze remained away from him. "…I can't," she replied lowly, not even sure if he could hear her. She paid no mind to it. "I can't say I feel the same. I'm sorry."

Mace definitely heard it though, and it even upset him. Even though he'd still been burning up with resentment since the day they'd broken up, he somehow still considered her a friend. Upon realizing that graduation was near and the fact that they'd most likely never see each other again, Mace realized he didn't want to end things on such a bad note.

Mace immediately turned his body to face her with intentions to clear up any bitterness. On the other hand, Charisma wanted to avoid that. She wasn't prepared for reconciliation at all. She felt what was coming next and stood up off her seat to hurry off and back to her table.

"Wait a second!" Mace gasped and quickly stood up to grab her wrist and pulled her back to him, with more strength than he'd intended. Charisma gasped as she crashed into his chest softly and felt his arms around her.

'What's…what's he doing?' her mind frantically asked no one in particular. She lifted her eyes slightly to stare at the red corsage pinned to his dusty gray tuxedo. '…I can't do this…" She hesitantly lifted her eyes up to his slowly.

Mace's dark eyes seemingly bore into her heart and she felt herself inwardly swoon. For even a brief second, she felt her feelings for him become pure once again, forgetting the ache he had caused her by running off with Aracelle. She shut her eyes when she felt his warm, familiar breath on her face. It felt almost like a trance to her and she was falling into it.

The moment was shattered when Charisma felt a sudden, strong tingle in her stomach. Recognizing it instantly, Charisma gasped and looked over towards the doorway. She felt her heart aching once again.

Trunks stood there with an expression that read of nothing more than shock before slowly sinking into anger. Realizing the predicament she was in, Charisma quickly pushed herself off of Mace.

The only sound in the room was the soft hum of the music that played in the other room. It didn't help in easing the tension that built up so quickly in the hall. Trunks remained silently fuming as his eyes narrowed menacingly towards Mace, who didn't hesitate to shoot an angry glance right back.

Charisma's eyes traveled from Trunks to Mace and then back. She groaned and hurried over to Trunks' side. "…We weren't doing anything," she told him. Trunks' eyes glanced at her and caused the ache in her heart to increase greatly. She couldn't remember the last time he looked so upset with her.

"What do I care?" he snapped and stormed off towards the entrance of the venue. Charisma felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. She glanced over at Mace, not even registering the look on his face, before quickly hurrying after Trunks.

* * *

_I believe this is my first cliffhanger for this story. I don't do cliffhangers much 'cuz I'm always like to resolve most things by the end of the chapter, but again, the chapter was running too long and I had to cut it. Sorry! I promise to not keep you waiting too long!_

_BTW, I invite you to take a look at my DeviantArt page (link posted on my profile under 'homepage') where I periodically post fanart for this fic and some of my others. Please check it out! :)_


	23. Fly With You

_Author's Note: _My second upload this week! W00T! It's not as long as the last one, but I'm proud I was able to get it out before waiting too long (like usual..hehe)

I completely love how this chapter came out. I've been planning this from the start and I have to say that it has shaped up pretty well. I hope everything that happens is believable enough, because I really want to approach the relationship between Charisma and Trunks in a realistic way. I hope you like it :) Please let me know what you think, I hope for this fic to make it to 100 reviews someday :D

Chapter 23

Fly with You

Charisma's heels stomped on the cement like a horse's hoofs on pavement as she quickly followed after Trunks. He didn't even know where he was going at all. He just wanted to go away as far as possible. He knew she was right behind him and growled in frustration.

"What is wrong with you?" he snapped at her, suddenly stopping to turn around and startling her slightly.

"What?" Charisma asked, stopping in place.

"Why are you still messing around with him?"

Charisma sighed exasperatedly, scratching her temple with a blue-polished fingernail. "There wasn't anything going on between us, Trunks. He caught me in a moment when I let my guard down. But I promise you, I'm over him. I don't want to go back to him anymore."

"Then why are you always acting so weird whenever you see him?" Trunks grumbled and ran his hand down his face. "…You two are the same."

"Hey," Charisma shouted back as she dropped her hands into fists at her sides. "I'm nothing like that jerk! I don't want Aracelle's sloppy seconds, you know-" Charisma was halfway through her sentence when she realized what she was saying. Trunks had been with Aracelle at one point, even though that happened years ago. Charisma covered her mouth. "…but then that makes you…"

Trunks glared at her, raising a brow. "What?"

Charisma blushed furiously and shook her head. "Nothing!"

They stood there silently before Trunks brushed it off. "Whatever…"

Charisma crossed her arms and sighed. "And why is this any of your business, anyway?"

Trunks shot another glare at her. "Why?"

"Yes! Why?" she replied, echoing his tone exactly.

Trunks remained silently grumbling to himself as he tried to think of something. Charisma couldn't help but smile to herself. She was pretty sure why'd he'd gotten upset, though it was just a hunch. More than anything, she just wanted to hear Trunks say it himself.

'You've always been there for me,' she thought to herself, not able to say it out loud. 'In all honesty, I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't shown up…'

Charisma broke the distance between them and latched onto Trunks' body as she buried her face into his chest. "Thank you for everything, Trunks!" she said sweetly, her voice muffled. She knew she couldn't say everything she felt, at least not now. But she would at least be content with showing him her gratitude.

Trunks stared down at her, flustered. "W-what are you talking about?"

Charisma pulled her face slightly off of him. She hesitantly looked up at him. She hoped that the darkness of the night would obscure her blush enough. "You wanna be my date for tonight?" she asked, her voice low like a whisper as if it were her biggest secret.

"What?" Trunks' eyes almost popped out of his sockets. "…Are you okay? Are you sure you're okay?"

"Answer my question first!" Charisma said holding onto him tighter. He tensed against her. "Maybe my problem is…that I'm feeling a little lonely…" She began frowning. Her arms loosened and she pulled back and away from him.

"I've wasted so much time thinking about Mace. I've resented him for long enough, and I've even hated Aracelle for much longer that I should have. It's like I'm drowning in my feelings sometimes…I feel stupid that I let it get to me the way it does. Every time I see them, I'm reminded of it, no matter how happy I am. I get such an…inexplicable urge to break something. I really can't stand it."

Trunks sighed and shook his head. He felt his anger quickly subside. 'Always one to keep your true feelings to yourself, Charisma,' he thought.

"…I'm always here," he said softly. She looked back up at him. "You don't have to feel alone and it's all right to be upset about it. I understand that. But don't keep your anger to yourself. It's not good for you to hide behind your smiles when you're suffering on the inside."

Charisma's eyes fell to the ground and she smiled down at herself. "You're completely right." Her eyes brightened as she looked up at him. "So do you accept?"

Trunks blushed again.

"Only for tonight!" she insisted with her hands folded in a pleading manner. "My eyes will be on you, only on you. And no one else even has to know, only us. Is that what you want?"

Trunks coughed in a futile attempt to easy his discomfort. "If you promise to stop talking, then I'll accept."

"Stop talking?" Charisma repeated as if it were the most absurd proposal she'd ever heard. "I can't promise that…"

"I didn't think so," he chuckled to himself. 'It's not wrong for me to take advantage of this offer, is it?' he mentally wondered. "…I guess I'll have to accept, anyway."

Charisma squealed happily and looped her arm left arm into his right. She dragged him along back towards the hall. "Yay! Let's make this a night we'll never forget, all right?" she said as she winked up at him.

Trunks mumbled, "Will you…please have mercy on me?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking perplexed.

"Never mind," he grumbled as they headed back inside.

**…**

Charisma removed her arm from Trunks as they entered the building and headed towards their table. She wasn't sure whether or not he really wanted Goten and Misa to know about it. It didn't bother her at all, either way. Charisma was just happy at having Trunks as her date, whether or not anyone else cared. Goten and Misa returned to the table before they could even notice that Trunks and Charisma had left.

"Are you ready to dance now?" Misa asked, holding out her hand to Charisma.

"You bet!" Charisma shouted over the music, taking Misa's hand and standing up.

'Looks like she's feeling better,' Trunks thought to himself with a soft smile.

"What about you?" Goten asked as he went over to Trunks.

"I already said I don't dance," he simply replied.

"Please!" Misa begged, folding her hands together.

"…no…"

Charisma laughed to herself. "So stubborn…but all right, let's just leave him, guys." Charisma winked at him, causing him to blush. "…You're going to get up there and dance at least once, I promise you!"

"Is that a threat?" he asked as Charisma began walking off towards the dance floor with Misa and Goten.

"You bet!" she responded with an innocent smile.

Trunks spent the next few minutes sitting down at the table with his arms crossed. He watched as the bodies on the dance floor swayed with the rhythm of the techno music that blared through the speakers. Various different colored lights shone on everyone as they raised their hands and sang in unison.

Trunks spotted a blond head moving around the crowd and then emerging out of it. Misa and Goten soon followed, fanning themselves a bit before dancing again. He chuckled to himself and took a deep breath. He allowed his arms to loosen up and rest on the table as he continued watching his friends enjoying themselves.

His eyes slowly traveled towards the door to the hall in time to watch as Mace entered with Aracelle clinging onto his arm. The pair hurried on over to the dance floor to join the crowd at another end far from where Charisma and her friends were.

Trunks shook his head and growled lowly to himself. "He's gotta be the biggest dumbass I've ever known," he said to himself. Not that long ago, Mace had been holding Charisma in his arms and staring into her eyes as if nothing had ever changed. Now he was back with Aracelle again, although his smile looked forced.

Just the memory of seeing Mace embracing her was enough to set his blood boiling. Trunks shut his eyes and swallowed his rage. He took a deep breath and looked up to watch as Charisma danced with Misa and Goten sandwiched in between the two, looking like a happy man.

'I won't allow him to toy with her anymore,' he thought to himself. 'He'll only keep hurting you. I promise I'll always protect you…'

Charisma turned her head as she danced to the beat to see Trunks staring at her. She frowned and signaled Goten and Misa to stay in their spots. Trunks didn't even realize that she'd made her way over to him until it was too late.

"HEY!" she shouted over the music, startling him slightly as she leaned in closer to him.

"Huh?"

"You look so pitiful sitting here all by yourself," she said as she reached for his hands. "Stop acting like you've got your bum pasted to the seat. Get up and let's dance together!"

"What?" Trunks protested trying to pull his hands away from her. Surprisingly, her grip was tighter than he'd expected and she managed to pull him up to his feet. "No way! You know I don't-!"

Charisma was somehow able to drag him out to the floor. She almost felt her heart break with pity at the look on his face. He looked something like a wounded animal.

"Dance! Everyone else is doing it, too!" Charisma encouraged him, bumping the side of her hips into his to get him moving. Trunks groaned uncomfortably only to be ambushed by Misa who grabbed onto his shoulders from behind his back.

"Be a man and dance!" she exclaimed, moving his shoulders around for him as if he were a doll. "Loosen up!"

Goten came up behind Misa and grabbed onto her shoulders. "Yeah!"

"Hey, look! A conga line!" one of the other dancers around said. The place erupted into cheers as everyone lined up. Charisma was the only person left out and pouted when she realized it. The line formed before she even had a chance to take her place. She watched as Trunks had no choice but reluctantly to lead the conga line. His face read of nothing more than embarrassment and complete bewilderment at their purest forms.

As sorry as she felt for him, Charisma couldn't stop the laughter that was building up in her stomach and laughed mercilessly for a few seconds before taking pity on him. She hurried over to him and grabbed his hands to place them on her hips.

"You owe me," she whispered to him and began leading the line.

After a good twenty minutes, the conga line finally dispersed and Charisma and her friends went to take their seats.

"I am never gonna forgive you guys for this," Trunks grumbled like a child with his arms crossed.

"You had fun!" Misa said cheerfully.

"No I did not."

"I saw you smiling," Charisma said as-a-matter-of-factly. "Don't lie."

Trunks remained silent with his arms crossed. The speaker suddenly blared with another tune and Misa squealed when it hit her ears.

"I love this song!" she cried and immediately stood up from her chair. "Let's go dance, everyone!"

"Count me out!" Trunks quickly shouted.

"Suit yourself!" Goten teased and followed Misa on her way to the floor. "Come on, Charisma."

"I'll stay here," she said. "I need to make sure Trunks doesn't blast anything out of anger or anything."

"Good point!" Misa stated and grabbed onto Goten. "Let's go then!"

The pair soon disappeared into the crowd of people on the dance floor. Charisma took a deep breath and smiled to herself. This would definitely be something she was going to remember, and would make sure Trunks would never live it down.

Neither of them said a word to each other as they remained seated. It wasn't an awkward kind of uncomfortable silence at all. Charisma felt alright until her mind began wandering. She began thinking of something that surprised her and she wondered if the events of today were making her think too much.

'…I can't possibly do it…' she thought to herself. She was beginning to feel uneasy now. Her eyes fell to her hands as they rested on her lap. '…There's too much going on today anyway…Everything that happened with Mace, my own feelings…I don't want to confuse him…'

Charisma lifted her head and looked over at Trunks. At that moment, their eyes met and Charisma couldn't help but smile shyly, yet affectionately at him. Trunks coughed and turned his head once he felt himself blushing.

'Why is she looking at me like that?' he wondered.

"…Don't be such a baby," she said after a few more seconds of silence. "Everyone was dancing, too. No one else even noticed you. We all had fun together."

Trunks rolled his eyes and turned back to her.

"Party pooper," she said and stuck her tongue out at him. "…You're my date now. You have to make my night fun, remember?"

"I never agreed to that," he swiftly protested.

"Then what did you agree to?" she arched her brows.

Trunks uncrossed his arms and sunk into his seat as if trying to escape. He instead changed the subject. "…You better not make me dance again."

"I can't promise that." Charisma stuck her tongue out again.

"Dummy," he chuckled. "But really, I'm not a dancer…"

"No one cares," she retorted. "Besides, you used to dance like crazy when we were kids. You and Goten, especially…oh yeah, I've got picture to prove it, too…"

"Oh shut up," he fought back as he sat back up. "You're annoying."

"You, too," she winked.

"Dummy," he called her again and laughed.

Charisma grinned up at him and looked across the hall to see a door that lead outside to a courtyard. She felt her heart pounding against her chest all of a sudden as another idea crossed her mind.

'I'm just thinking crazy…' she mentally told herself, trying to decide whether or not it would be right. '…But…it feels right somehow…' Just the thought of it made her stomach feel funny,

Trunks noticed the sudden change in her aura. "Are you okay?"

Charisma slowly turned to look at him. "Yeah…there's something that's on my mind…that's all…"

"…Is it about him?" Trunks frowned.

"No, actually," Charisma said. 'Maybe this is why I've been so uneasy tonight,' she wondered. 'But…it's worth the risk, isn't it?'

"…Do you want to talk about it?" he asked her.

Charisma hesitated before nodding her head. "Let's go outside for a walk…it's too noisy in here…"

Trunks looked over to see the door to the courtyard. "Sounds good. My head is hurting from this music anyway."

**…**

Compared to the rest of the venue, the courtyard was surprisingly nothing special. It was a small sized garden, barely so, with more grass than flowers. There were only a few dim lights around from lanterns that hung off of tall posts.

Charisma's eyes remained on the stone ground as she walked side by side with Trunks. Once again, she found it funny how their footsteps always seemed to match when they walked together. It was something she hadn't given much thought to until that night at the mall.

'I don't know why I'm thinking of all this now,' she thought. 'I wonder if I can handle it…'

"So," Trunks said with a deep breath and looked over at her. "What's wrong?"

"…Nothing's really wrong, actually," she said softly. She looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks for agreeing to be my date." She felt heat rising to her cheeks and looked forward in order to keep it hidden. She felt her heartbeat quickening and could barely look at him now.

"Is that what you wanted to say?" he asked. He chuckled to himself. "Are you sure it has nothing to do with Mace?"

"I'm positive!" Charisma answered and looked up at him. "…I couldn't say it then…but I'll tell you now. I don't know what his plans were and I almost gave in. It's been months and I haven't been able to put my feelings for him to rest. At least…not until tonight…"

Trunks looked at her curiously. "…So you've finally put it behind you?"

"…maybe not 100% yet, but I'm almost there. I don't trust him anymore like I used to," she said. "And I realized that there's someone better out there for me…"

The two stopped in their places in front of a bench. Charisma took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. The stars were twinkling afar, like small eyes in heaven winking at her. She knew she would need all the support she could get, even from nonliving celestial bodies. She chuckled to herself at how childish it felt to wish on a star.

"But when you showed up, I was so relieved. It made me remember something that I knew all along…"

Trunks couldn't explain why he was suddenly feeling funny now. Maybe it was the aura that Charisma was giving off. He shifted slightly in his spot. "…and what's that?"

Charisma's knees buckled together but she managed to keep herself up. "Let's sit down…" she said quickly.

The pair took a seat on the bench but kept a good distance away from each other. In all honesty, Trunks was starting to get worried. She went from being excited, to being sad, to being happy, and now completely serious. He hadn't seen mood swings this bad since meeting Misa. He didn't know what to expect out of Charisma anymore.

Charisma took a deep breath and looked up at the starry sky again. In her heart, she sought for more comfort from them, as if it would help.

'I don't know what's come over me,' Charisma thought looking up at the sky then over at Trunks. 'Why do I feel like this all of a sudden? I guess…it's now or never.' She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Trunks looked at her weirdly.

"…What is it?"

"Trunks," Charisma said quietly. "Please listen to what I'm going to tell you…" She stopped and tried to keep her heart beat steady and her body from shaking. She lowered her gaze knowing she couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes.

Trunks' eyes were wide with worry as he wondered what she could be trying to tell him. Was she planning on studying abroad? Or moving away? He didn't even know how he would feel in either situation.

"This…isn't easy for me to say…" she continued after a short pause. "Honestly, I'm so scared and I don't know if this is the right time for this but…I suddenly feel as if I have to let you know now…"

Trunks turned to face her directly, leaning forward slightly and completely interested in what she was going to tell him.

"What? What is it?" he asked anxiously.

Charisma lifted her eyes to look at him and her breath caught in her chest. 'I can't back down now…just three words…only three little words…'

Her heart throbbed almost painfully. She was sure it had never been this hard to say those words to anyone else, and there were plenty. She swallowed hard in order to gain her composure and shut her eyes. Her voice came out almost in a shiver.

"Trunks…I like you…"

He froze.

"I mean, I don't like as just a friend…I have strong feelings for you, Trunks…" she explained quickly, not wanting to confuse him. She'd said 'I like you' to him before but in a completely different context. It wasn't the same anymore.

Trunks felt his mind go blank for a moment as it tried to register her words. He clenched his jaw tightly in order to keep it from hitting the floor. Charisma lowered her gaze to the ground. The air was heavy and uncomfortable with his silence.

'Say something…' she thought, almost wanting to cry. She bit her bottom lip to keep her sobs away while blinking away at the tears in her eyes. 'Please…just say something…'

Trunks remained quiet. '…She…likes me?' he repeated in his mind.

Charisma shut her eyes as she sighed and turned around. "You're silent…You just don't want to hurt me, right?"

Trunks snapped out of his trance and looked at her. Charisma kept her eyes away from him. She couldn't help but feel slightly ashamed. 'How embarrassing,' she thought.

"…It's okay though," she almost whispered with her voice trembling "I'm not expecting anything by telling you this. I just wanted you to know. I hope…this doesn't change anything between us…okay?" Her voice sped up with each word and crackling. She sounded as if she wanted to come off as cheerful but were instead getting ready to cry. Charisma stood up off the bench and faced him without looking him in the eye.

"I should go…" Charisma turned to leave in a hurry but was jolted slighted when she felt Trunks' rough hand grasp her wrist. She bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath. "Did I…make a mistake?"

"…I'm sorry," he finally said. His voice was softer than she'd ever heard.

Charisma could feel her heart breaking.

"…but you misunderstood me…" he continued.

Charisma placed her free hand over her mouth as she felt her tears threatening to spill. Her sobs threatened to erupt from her lips.

"…Charisma, the truth is…" Trunks shut his eyes. He really didn't know what to say.

It dawned on him a long time ago. As a child, he always pushed his feelings aside out of pride that mirrored his father's. Even now, as he grew older and grew out of most of that arrogance, there was something else that held his feelings back.

Trunks didn't understand why it was hard for him to admit his feelings even to himself. Maybe the thought of being turned down hurt his pride. Or maybe he truly didn't want it to ruin their friendship. He wasn't sure which one. But it didn't seem to matter right now.

He knew now that Charisma felt the same way and there was nothing to be ashamed of anymore. He'd put so much trust into her as a friend, as someone who he could confidently trust to stand by him no matter what. It didn't seem matter to him what anyone else would say or think.

"…I do, too…"

Charisma's eyes widened, releasing tears before she could stop them. She attempted to wipe them quickly with her free hand before he could see. Trunks caught her by surprise when she felt him tug on her arm and pull her into an embrace.

Charisma stared out into the distance past his shoulder. She felt him breathing against her and reminded herself that she wasn't dreaming. She sighed contently and wrapped her arms around his back, burying her face into his warm chest and shutting her eyes. Her tears dried against his dark tuxedo.

"…I'm so happy," she whispered.

"…Me, too," he replied.

Charisma lifted her face and shyly smiled up at him. Trunks smiled softly down at her, too, with redness visible on his cheeks even in the dim lights. He hesitated before bringing his lips to her forehead and planted a soft kiss. Charisma jolted slightly at the feeling and giggled to herself. She buried her face back into his shoulder and they embraced again.

**…**

Misa and Goten were sitting at the table when Trunks and Charisma returned. They hadn't said much to each other on the walk back from the courtyard. They were both suddenly overcome with shyness although they would occasionally look at each other and smile.

"Where were you guys?" Misa asked as she watched them sit. "You missed it!"

"Huh?" Charisma asked curiously. "What did we miss?"

"They announced prom king and queen," Goten explained with a grin. "And you won't believe who won…"

Charisma smiled at them with enthusiasm. "…Who…?"

"…I don't know, but it wasn't Aracelle or Mace," Misa said almost mischievously before laughing. "Some other people won, but the look on Aracelle's face made us feel like winners!"

Charisma laughed along with them and shook her head.

"Aracelle can do whatever she wants," Charisma told them. "I don't really care about her or Mace anymore." Misa and Goten exchanged a look then glanced at her again. Trunks looked up at her, too.

"Really?" Goten asked. "Why the sudden change of heart? Not that there's anything wrong with it…just wondering."

Charisma sighed and looked at Trunks with a bright smile. He instantly smiled back at her and it drew confused stares from Goten and Misa

"…Oh, no reason."

* * *

_I'm so glad I got the confession out! I'm really happy with how it turned out, compared to how the rough draft of it looked. Now all the cute and fluffy stuff can begin! And of course, more drama :D I'll be sure to update soon!_


	24. Joined Hands

_Author's Note: _I apologize for the long delay! I swore I would update this so soon, but it's been like six months since the last update D: I'm sorry for those of you who've been waiting since then :'( I've been busy with school and all, and I've been very active on DeviantArt so I neglect my fanfics sometimes. In any case, I'm glad I finally was able to finish this before the end of the month, as I'd been aiming for.

Trunks and Charisma's relationship is on the verge of change, and quite possibly, the one between Misa and Goten. This is the last 'high school' chapter, and after this I can hopefully get into their lives as adults. There aren't that many chapters left, at most about 10, I'd say. That could change, of course, depending on any new ideas I might suddenly come up with. Anyway, enjoy! I hope to get the next update sooner than this time! :D

Chapter 24:

Joined Hands

The following Monday morning was like any other. Misa and Goten met up in front of the Capsule Corp house.

"I mean it," Misa was saying as they stopped to wait for Trunks to come out. "I had a wonderful time. I'm really glad I agreed to go with you."

"Was I right or not?" he replied confidently. "I know how to party."

Misa chuckled and nodded her head. "You can be pretty cute when you want to be, too."

Goten grinned at her and winked.

"Oh stop," she giggled childishly.

Trunks waved 'goodbye' to his parents as he stepped out of his house and began walking across the grass towards Goten and Misa.

"You guys are here pretty early," he stated.

"Good morning to you, too, Trunks," said Misa with a smile. The trio began heading over to Charisma's house across the street. As always, Charisma always took the longest time to get ready. Today, however, she seemed to take longer than usual.

"Is she even up yet?" Goten remarked, staring down at his watch.

"Why wouldn't she be?" asked Misa. "Maybe she just woke up late."

"I'll text her," Trunks stated as he pulled out his phone. Within a few seconds, Charisma came out of the house with a big smile on her face.

"Good morning," she greeted Misa and Goten before taking her place beside Trunks. "And good morning to you."

"Good morning, Charisma," he greeted back with a smile on his face, too. Misa and Goten stared at him strangely. He seldom smiled like that. They exchanged a glance but brushed it off once the friends began walking.

"So how was your weekend?" Misa asked Charisma.

"Wonderful…" she replied almost shyly, her eyes darting over to Trunks and then back to the ground.

…

_The day after the prom, Charisma didn't know what to do. She'd spent most of the day with her phone nearby in case she should receive any phone calls. _

'_Should I call him first?' she'd wondered nervously while pacing around her room. 'Will I seem desperate? Oh but…I wanna talk to him so bad…I don't know what any of this means…are we together or…?'_

_The phone suddenly rang at the moment she was turning around and nearly caused Charisma to trip over her own foot and face plant into the floor. She quickly picked up the phone. She stared at the name flashing across the screen._

"_...Trunks…" she read the name to herself with a smile slowly forming on her face. She calmed herself down and answered. "Hi…"_

_The conversation was light-hearted and it didn't last very long. But that didn't matter to either of them. They'd both known it would probably be pretty awkward at first. After spending so many years together and becoming familiar as friends, it would be another thing to become lovers._

"_It's all right though," she said to him sweetly as she threw herself on her bed. "…I'm willing to deal with all the awkwardness and see it through…but only if you do the same…"_

_Trunks took a deep breath smiled. "…You have my word."_

…

"Wonderful?" Misa looked at her with curious eyes and walked beside her. "Did something…happen?"

Charisma nodded her head and grinned. "Well…I'll have to tell you later, okay?"

Misa's eyes narrowed playfully and she elbowed Charisma teasingly. "Oh…I see…"

"Let's hurry or we'll be late," Trunks suggested to them.

Misa hurried over to Goten and jumped on his back. One by one the friends took off into the sky and headed towards school.

The halls remained filled with chatter from fellow seniors about the prom, along with the sound of shoes pounding on the ground and metallic locker doors. Misa sighed as she and Charisma headed towards their locker. Goten and Trunks had split from them to head to their classes, not having any thing to grab from their own lockers.

"It's almost over," Misa said as she fumbled with the combination on her lock. "One month until graduation…I can't say I'm too excited now…"

"Oh," Charisma looked at her as she opened her door. "Why is that? All you've been talking about since we started was getting out of here."

"Yeah, but you know what graduation means?" Misa crossed her arms and frowned. "I'm going to college…"

"Have you already figured out where you're going?"

Misa paused and shut her locker. "Please don't kill me…"

Charisma finished grabbing her things and closed her locker. She gave Misa a wide-eyed, curious glance. "…What?"

"You remember we agreed to go to West City College together?"

Charisma nodded.

"Well…"

"Don't tell me they didn't accept you?" Charisma blurted out loudly.

Misa shook her head and lowered it in defeat. "They didn't…"

"They accepted me…that's where I'm going…" Charisma said with a sigh. She crossed her arms. "What are you going to do? Where else are you going to go?"

"…Central…"

"…Central?"

Misa nodded, the frown on her face growing deeper. "I didn't want to go so far away…but that's the only place that's accepted me. My parents won't be happy it I refuse."

"But that's so far away," Charisma said softly.

"Yeah…I'll have to dorm there…"

Charisma frowned. "So you're leaving me?"

Misa shook her head and turned to face her. "It's not like that…"

Charisma smiled at her and nodded. "I know. It's doesn't matter, anyway. I can go see you on weekends…it'll probably take you forever to get here just to spend the weekend. But I can fly over to wherever you are. It's not a problem."

Misa laughed out loud with a sigh of relief. "I can't believe I actually forgot about that!"

The bell rung loudly and Charisma gasped. "Oh, we better get to class."

"Yeah…"

Charisma walked over and grabbed Misa by the arm as they began heading down the hall. "It's doesn't matter how far away you go. You can go to a university at the farthest end of the universe and it won't change anything between us. Don't worry…"

Misa smiled at her brightly and agreed. 'But what about Trunks…and Goten, too…' she wondered.

…

Charisma felt like a little girl again. She found it hard to focus on her first class with Trunks sitting beside her. 'It's so funny how a few days can change a person,' she mentally told herself. 'Just last week I could face him without any problem…but now…'

She shifted her eyes to start at him for about the thousandth time today. Trunks looked up at her and she blushed looking away quickly.

"Still not used to it?" he asked her sounding slightly amused.

Charisma looked up at him again and shook her head but grinned coyly. "…I'm trying…"

"I see," he chuckled. "So am I..."

They faced forward again once the teacher stepped into the room and began his lecture. They remained silent throughout the class, though Charisma was still feeling nervous the entire time. After class finally ended, they walked through the halls together the same way they always did before heading off to their next class.

"So I'll see you at lunch," Charisma told him with a wave and began heading down another side of the hall.

"Hold on!" Trunks called out to her. She turned around to face him. "Let's do something after school together…if you want…" He blushed and scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Oh, like what?" Charisma asked him. "You want to go for a walk or for pizza or something?"

"Pizza sounds good," Trunks agreed. "So, I'll see you at lunch, all right?"

Charisma nodded shyly. "Yeah…see you then."

The two turned around headed towards opposite ends of the hall, but with the same smile on their faces.

…

After school, Charisma hurried to join her friends waiting for her at the front gate. She greeted them once she made it there and turned to Trunks.

"So are we going now?" she asked.

"Going?" Misa repeated. "Where are we going?"

Charisma turned to face her. "Trunks and I are going to hang out together for a bit now."

Goten and Misa exchanged a glance with each other and grinned.

"Oh, I see," Goten replied slyly and playfully nudged Trunks with his elbow. "Is this a date?"

Charisma and Trunks blushed simultaneously before Misa spoke up. "How cute! Don't worry about Goten and me. We'll get along home just fine. Have fun you two!" she said sweetly and waved to them. Goten stood by her side and waved towards them as well.

"Well, I guess we better go," Trunks said quickly and waved at them. "Come on, Charisma."

Charisma waved shyly at her friends and trailed after Trunks. The two walked together silently to the heart of the city.

"So where do you want to go?" he asked her, breaking the silence.

"We agreed on pizza, didn't we?" she replied. "I don't know where else there is to go right now…"

"That's fine, anywhere is fine," he agreed. They made their way over to their familiar eatery and sat down. It was more awkward this time then when the had gone to the mall alone together. Before, they'd gone as just friends. Now they'd confessed their feelings to each other and the air was different.

"I've been wondering…" Trunks suddenly began, breaking the silence. "…Remember that night at the prom?"

"Yeah, I remember it," Charisma said, trying not to swoon as she spoke and somehow keeping a dreamy smile off her face.

"Did you mean it?"

"Hmm? Mean what?"

"…You've really forgotten about Mace?" Trunks wondered if now was the right time to find out, but the question had been nagging at the back of his mind since that night.

Charisma sighed and narrowed her eyes playfully and looked away. "Mace? Who's that? Never heard of him."

Trunks chuckled to himself and shook his head. "So it's true…you've recovered."

"Yeah," Charisma confirmed with another sigh. "I'm not worried about that nonsense anymore. I'm sorry I dragged you through it…and I guess I should apologize to Goten and Misa, too. It was really stupid of me to care so much…"

"You don't have to apologize to anyone," Trunks softly interrupted her. "We're your friends. That's what we're here for…and even so, I don't think there's anything you can do to honestly hide your pain…at least not from me."

Charisma blushed but smiled down at herself.

"What about Aracelle?" he asked and she looked up. He smirked playfully at her. "You seemed pretty determined to beat her face in…"

Charisma covered her mouth cutely as she giggled. "I guess I went overboard with her, too. I never liked her…I mean, what's there to like, you know?"

Trunks laughed at her statement.

"But really, this anger I've felt towards her since day one hasn't benefited me in anyway…more than anything, I've allowed someone like her to hurt me. I've hurt myself…so I've decided I don't care about anything she does anymore either…"

"Oh, you sound very mature now…"

Charisma glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean? I've always been mature!"

Trunks grinned nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Relax, I'm not calling you childish or anything…but you seem to have changed a little…"

"Really?"

"Yeah…I can't say why or how, exactly, but I think it's great that you're putting those feelings to rest," Trunks explained. "It saves me the trouble of having to kick Mace's ass…"

Charisma laughed out loud too and leaned closer to him. "You know," she said blushing. "I realized all of this after confessing to you…looks like I have you to thank, Trunks."

Trunks blushed and felt his body becoming hotter. The look in her eyes now was making him feel a little funny, but not at all in a bad way. It was just different than anything before. "Oh, really? Why? What have I done?"

"I realized that I don't need Mace or anyone else, Trunks. Not as long as you're around," she smiled warmly at him, causing him to shift nervously in his seat.

Trunks felt his face heating up further but gave Charisma a smile that almost left her breathless. "I'm really glad…"

…

After talking for a few more minutes, Trunks and Charisma decided it'd be best to head home. After all, they still had some homework to finish and didn't want to stay out too late.

Walking along the street, Charisma noticed the sudden influx of happy couples walking around them. Maybe she was just exaggerating, but everyone around suddenly seemed to be paired up. Intertwined fingers, smiling faces, gleaming eyes…Charisma looked down and shifted her eyes nervously towards Trunks. He seemed to notice it, too, and looked over at her from the corner of his eye.

"…Can you really imagine us being like that?" he asked her lowly, feeling slightly awkward.

Charisma shrugged and nodded at him, a soft smile slowly appearing on her face. "I don't know…but why should we have to imagine?"

That statement caught Trunks by surprised and his body warmed up immediately as if bracing for her next move. Charisma surprised him by grabbing on to his hand and lacing her fingers into his, not shyly as he would've thought, but confidently as if she knew he wouldn't reject her. She noticed instantly how warm his hand felt against hers, and slightly rough, something she'd never realized the few times in the past she'd grabbed onto his hand. Her hands, on his part, were soft and cool and slender against his, and much smaller they were compared to his.

Trunks didn't really know how to react at the moment. He discreetly caught his breath and scratched the back of his head nervously. It wasn't a bad feeling at all. In fact, the longer their hands remained together, the happier he felt and he didn't want it to end. He looked down at her and smiled warmly.

Walking together they blended into the sea of other happy couples. He never cared about fitting in much, but it was a very nice feeling. Perhaps not so much the feeling of fitting in, but the feeling of having Charisma at his side, as his partner. Their footsteps matching once more, Charisma felt almost an overwhelming feeling of warmth in her chest, almost making it difficult to breath. She never would've dreamed this would've happened, not with Trunks. Charisma lifted her eyes to look at their reflection as they passed by the glass windows of a nearby building.

'…We actually look good together, don't we?' she thought to herself, blushing even more at the thought. 'It feels wonderful…'

Hesitantly, Charisma grabbed onto his arm with her other hand and clung on to him, sending shivers down his spine. She looked up at him with a loving smile and he returned the same smile back. They headed back home, with their hands together and smiles on their faces the whole time.

…

Once Charisma arrived home, she bathed and changed clothing. She'd just finished put on a pair of sweat pants when she heard knocking on her bedroom door. She opened it to find Misa on the other side and a nervous grin and a waving hand.

"Misa? What's up? Is something wrong?" Charisma asked her worriedly. "Never mind, get in!"

Misa entered and sat on Charisma's bed, remaining silent as if she were lost in her own thoughts.

"What's wrong?" Charisma asked taking a seat beside her best friend. "It's pretty late, you know."

Misa sighed before finally answering. "I don't know what to do, Charisma," she began and dropped her smile. "I feel so confused."

"Why? What happened?"

"Have you told Trunks and Goten about me leaving to college?" she asked suddenly.

Charisma shook her head. "No. You haven't?"

"I don't know how to break it to him…" Misa said sounding distressed.

"…you mean Goten?"

Misa nodded. "I don't know how I'm going to tell him I'm leaving already. I mean, we're not dating or anything but…it feels like we're finally starting to understand each other, you know?"

Charisma somehow succeeded in trying to hide her smile. She was happy that they were beginning to realize their feelings for each other. But this wasn't the time to be smiling, at least not for now when there was a serious dilemma here.

"It's starting to really hit me now," she continued. "College…you have no idea how much I dislike being in school…and now you guys won't even be there to keep me sane? I don't know how I'll handle it. It's like moving out of town…that's pretty much what it is. Everything's changing so fast, and I don't think I can keep up…"

Charisma was at a loss of words. She hadn't realized how much pressure Misa had been put under by her parents to complete with college. Furthermore, Charisma knew well she'd miss seeing Misa around as often, too.

"It's not forever, Misa," Charisma slowly said, trying to comfort her. "Just for a few years, then you'll be back. And you can still come visit us when ever you can, or we can go visit you. And you have my number so you can call me whenever. Don't worry so much about it. You're thinking too much about it."

Misa sighed once again and nodded her head, facing Charisma. "Please don't tell Goten about me leaving…at least not yet…"

"I won't, but putting it off isn't going to help…" replied Charisma.

Misa lowered her eyes. "Right…but I have to be the one to tell him. I'm not going to move into the dorm until the beginning of September anyway…I just don't know how I'm going to tell him."

Charisma smiled down at her. "He'll be fine. Don't worry a bit. I'll still be here to keep an eye on him, you can count on that!"

Misa looked up at her and smiled. "You're right! I guess that's one less thing to worry about!" Misa grinned slyly and leaned closer to Charisma. "And what about you, Strawberry? What's going on with you and Trunks that you need alone time together?"

Charisma blushed and quickly stood up and paced around for a moment. She couldn't stop smiling like a little school girl. "That night at the prom, while you and Goten were busy dancing…I somehow found it in me to confess my feelings to Trunks."

Misa remained emotionless for a moment before the sentence hit her. She gasped and suddenly stood up off the bed so fast Charisma actually flinched.

"What?" she asked and grabbed Charisma by the shoulders. "Why didn't you tell me? That's awesome!" Misa gasped again and released her grip on Charisma. "But…what did he say?"

Charisma hesitated before answering and braced for another outburst. "…he confessed back…"

Misa's eyes opened wide and she squealed loud enough to scare the birds off the tree outside Charisma's window. "No way! So…are you two dating or what?"

Charisma shrugged and looked to the side. "We're not a couple, yet…at least I don't think so…we haven't really discussed titles or technicalities yet."

"Oh," Misa's shoulders fell. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

"I don't know," Charisma said slowly. "We're not rushing into it or anything. We're still just talking, you know."

"You two have talked all your lives," Misa said with a chuckle. "There's nothing left to discuss. It's been clear to me and Goten that you two have always had something for each other. I can't wait until you two actually end up together. I don't think you guys deserve anything less."

Charisma blushed and hugged onto her friend. "Thanks! And I'll be happy to see when you can finally tame the wild man that is Goten!"

Misa shrugged but smirked proudly. "Oh, we'll see!"

…

The next three weeks prior to graduation passed by like a blur, faster than anyone had wanted. The field behind Orange Academy High School was filled to capacity with the family and friends of the senior class filling the stands and bleachers. Orange and white balloons and streamers and other decorations were all around as music blared from a large piano set atop the stage in the middle of the field.

After all was set, the students marched down the field towards their seats. Some were smiling while others were crying tears of happiness. Lights flashed from cameras at all times, blinding many of them in the process. At last, the large group of students was all seated in their place. The ceremony began and ended soon enough with cheers from both the class and their family and friends. At the end, the four friends were greeted by their happy family and tearful mothers.

After the teens said their good byes to their other friends and teachers, they were all whisked away to theCapsule Corp house, where the music was already blasting from the speakers and the house was full of guests.

"This is so awesome," Misa exclaimed as they entered the house, excited to start the party. "First this, then the school's graduation party tomorrow night. I didn't think it'd be this awesome!"

"Oh, you're such a party animal," laughed Charisma.

Banners that read 'Congratulations' were hanging all over the walls and balloons and streamers filled the air as the friends walked in.

The four friends were greeted by happy guests, congratulating them all and giving graduation gifts. The rest of the day went on with a lot of dancing, mainly from Misa and Goten's part and a few of the drunken guests like Master Roshi.

The night seemed to end too soon for all of them as Trunks and Bulma stood at the door and watched the party guests leave.

"We're going to continue the party tomorrow," Goten excitedly told Trunks, who replied with a nod. "See ya!"

Goten jumped on a plane parked on the lawn with his parents and Gohan and his family. Misa waved towards everyone as she walked to the car with her parents and took off.

"I'll call you later!" she shouted to Charisma as the car took off.

Charisma waved goodbye to Trunks and Bulma and began making her way down the lawn with her parents ahead of her.

"Hey, Charisma!" Trunks called out to her before she finished making her way to the sidewalk.

She turned around to face him and looked back at her parents. "I'm going to stay here for a little longer, if it's ok. I'll go home in a few."

"Oh," Kaylei turned around to face her. "That's fine, sweetie. We'll see you at home then. We've got a present for you, so don't come home too late!"

Charisma's face brightened instantly. "Don't worry! Just give me a few!" Charisma watched as her parents continued on their walk towards the house. She turned back around and walked to Trunks. "So what is it?"

"I want to talk with you," he said, appearing a little flustered. Charisma eyed him strangely but nodded her head.

"Sure, what's up?"

Trunks looked around. "Let's go somewhere private."

Trunks and Charisma walked towards the back yard of the house that was perfectly void of anything else besides a bench and a tree. They both sat together on the bench and remained silent for a few minutes. The silence shared between them didn't seem as awkward as it'd been before. Instead, it was peaceful and very calm.

Charisma took a deep breath and leaned back to rest her head against the back of the bench, letting her body slide off of it slightly, and looked up at the stars. Trunks took a deep breath and followed suit into the same position on the bench, also looking up at the stars.

"…when did it happen?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"Eh?" Charisma looked at him, not understanding his question.

Trunks chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "I mean, how long have you had feelings for me? When did it start?"

Charisma blushed coyly but looked up at the sky again and took a deep breath. "When, huh? I wish I knew the answer to that one, too. If only it were that simple. It's not exactly something that has a starting point, per se. It just happens before you know it," Charisma chuckled. "Honestly, I don't know…"

"I guess you're right. I don't know the answer to that one, either." He grinned over at her. They exchanged bashful smiles and stared back up at the twinkling sky.

"Anything else you wanna confess to now?"

"Hmm…not really? You?"

"…No…or actually…" Charisma grinned to herself. "I still have that one pencil you let me borrow in third grade…you know, the one with the dinosaurs on it that you liked so much…"

"What? You're weird," he laughed. "That was my favorite pencil, too. I always wondered what happened to it. I forgot I even lent it to you."

"Hehe…sorry couldn't help it. I like dinosaurs…I guess I liked you that much back then, too." She grinned.

"…While we're confessing…I guess I should tell you I've made a promise to your father to always protect you, because he wasn't just going to be able to spend as much time with you as I could. He entrusted me with your safety, pretty much."

"…NO way!" Charisma sat up and turned to him. "So you've been like his spy or something the whole time?"

"Don't be so paranoid. I never told him anything like that about you. It was more like a promise. I'd watch over you to make sure all the men in your life were good to you."

"So that's why you were always so grumpy and mean to all my interests…" Charisma grinned. "Jerk…"

Trunks smirked back. "Yeah…but I guess my problem with them goes deeper than just that promise. I figure it was also an excuse to keep you to myself…"

Charisma laughed out loud, making him blush a little. "Oh my, I'm not used to hearing you like this. It's pretty strange…" she smiled at him, her eyes glistening. "But I love it…" She leaned back into the seat.

They remained silent again for a few moments as they gazed up at the stars. They seemed to be twinkling more than usual, at least in her eyes.

"…I want to be good to you, too…"

Charisma looked over at him and smiled. "I know you will be. I want to be good to you, too."

"In that case, I think we have a deal," Trunks said, looking at her. "Do we?"

Charisma chuckled and nodded her head. "If I can call you my boyfriend, I say yes. Let's make it a deal."

"Perfect," he replied and they both laughed.

Trunks noticed her hand on the edge of the bench and hesitantly put his hand on top of it. She responded by lacing her fingers within his and holding on tight. The night never seemed so beautiful, and the stars never shined brighter than at that moment as the watched them together.

* * *

_If you spot any errors, please feel free to let me know so I can correct them. I've reread this a few times, and cannot do it anymore! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it :) Please review and I'll update soon!_

_Also I've written a oneshot for Valentines' Day based on this story so I hope you'll check that out too :)_


	25. Preparation

_Author's Note_: Um hi everyone…I apologize for taking so long to update! I don't remember ever taking a year to update a fanfic but yeah. I'm so ashamed, sorry to keep you waiting! D: A lot has been going on in my life to keep me busy, especially as of lately. I've recently moved from my cozy home in New Jersey to southern Florida. Plus I'm usually quite active on Deviant Art so sometimes I push aside my writing for drawing.

In any case, I've been working on seeing this fic through the end. I have it all set up on how I want it to go. From here, there are about 10 chapters left to the end, so please bear with me because I don't know how long it'll take me to write 10 chapters xD I'm going my best to make it dramatic and interesting yet realistic so I hope I do it right :)

To make up for my absence, I hope the surprise at the end will make up for it :) Enjoy!

Chapter 25:

Preparations

The loud roar of airplane engines filled the quiet and peaceful skies over a mostly remote area of forest a couple hundred miles from West City. The aircraft was quite small with room enough for only its two passengers, Charisma and Trunks. As Trunks manned the vehicle and handled the navigation, Charisma sat beside him reading a magazine.

"Is it me or is this thing seriously lagging?" he asked all of a sudden as he quickly tapped at some buttons.

"Maybe you're not using it right," Charisma said casually as she flipped through a page and didn't even glance up at him.

"Oh? I'll have you know I can drive a plane with my eyes closed," he retorted and sighed. "I'd much rather fly over there the old fashioned way. What do you say? Should we ditch this thing?"

Charisma finally looked up at him and pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I really don't feel like flying…"

"At this rate, we'll get there by next week," he explained with a shake of his head. "Let's go!"

Charisma shrugged with a sigh and dropped her magazine as Trunks pressed a button to open the glass door above them. Charisma carefully levitated off of the plane as Trunks pressed another button to turn it back into a capsule. He grabbed onto it as it hovered momentarily in the air and stuffed it into the pocket of his jacket. He smirked mischievously at Charisma, to which she returned with a confused glance.

"Hey, I'll race you there…" He took off like a flash into the distance.

Charisma gasped and fumbled in the air before following suit. "Hey, you idiot! Don't leave me!"

**…...**

The area was mostly forest and grassy landscapes with a few mountains off in the distance. It wasn't long before two small houses came into view resting beside a gently flowing river.

"I told you it wasn't much further," Trunks said as they landed in front of Goku's house. "It's been some time since we've been here, huh?"

"Yeah, I'll say," Charisma replied as she looked around with her eyes. "A lot has changed…it's definitely gotten bigger…It still looks really nice and peaceful compared to the city."

Trunks knocked on the front door of Goku's house. After waiting for a few moments, no one answered at all and there wasn't any indication of anyone even being home. Trunks attempted knocking on the door again but with no success. With a confused sigh, he turned to Charisma and exchanged a glance.

Charisma shrugged at him. "What a bummer. I guess no one's home…" Charisma turned away from the door and placed her hands on her hips. "I wonder where they went…"

"WE DON'T WANT ANY!"

Charisma and Trunks were both practically startled out of their skins at the sound of a sudden and booming voice. They looked up above instantly to see Chi-Chi hanging some clothes to dry on a wire on a different part of the house.

"Oh, it's you two!" she said and smiled warmly at them. "How have you been? Welcome to Mount Paozu!"

"How are you, Chi-Chi? We've been great!" Charisma replied with a bright grin. "It's nice to be out here again!"

"I'll say," she replied. "You two barely come around anymore."

"Yeah," Trunks agreed before asking her. "Say, is Goten around?"

"Well, when he wants to be," Chi-Chi replied as she turned her full attention back to the clothes she was hanging on the line. "Right now, he's out training with his father. Go ask Gohan. He should know where they are."

"That's great," responded Trunks as he motioned for Charisma to continue on and they went on their way. "I wanted to go see him anyway. It's nice to see you again Chi-Chi."

Charisma waved at Chi-Chi as the pair proceeded over to the house right next door. Trunks led the short way to the door where he once again attempted to knock.

"Hello!" Trunks announced and knocked on the door twice, only to have the door open on its own and no response. Trunks and Charisma hesitantly peered inside from their side of the door. "Hello? Is anyone home?"

"I don't see anyone," Charisma began to say. "Maybe he's not home right now, either…"

"But the TV is on," Trunks replied to her as he slowly entered. "They must be in here…"

Charisma hesitated for a moment before followed behind him. "This is a little rude, isn't it?"

"Gohan?" Trunks called out, ignoring her comment, as he wandered further into the living room. Charisma grumbled to herself and crossed her arms as she stood near a small table. She noticed the pretty white trimmed picture frame that sat atop it housing a beautiful photo of when Gohan and Videl had gotten married.

"How pretty…" she swooned quietly with a smile.

"Trunks, Charisma, is that you?"

Charisma and Trunks looked up to see Gohan high on a ladder on the far side of the room with a stack of books he'd gathered from his enormous bookshelf.

"I can't believe it! How have you two been?" he asked excitedly and descended the ladder carefully. "You guys barely come to visit anymore." Charisma and Trunks simultaneously scratched the backs of their heads nervously.

"We've been great!" Charisma greeted as she came closer to him. "A little busy with college preparations and all. That's why we barely have time to visit anymore. But it's so nice to see you again, Gohan!"

"Oh I see. Life's keeping you busy, but that's great," Gohan responded and began descending the ladder. "Hey, would you mind giving me a hand with this, Trunks?"

"Uh, sure," Trunks stepped around Charisma and grabbed the large stack of heavy textbooks from Gohan's arms and placed them on a nearby table. "Wow, my dad was right!" he added. "You really are a big nerd, aren't you?"

Charisma rolled her eyes at him.

Gohan chuckled as he adjusted the thick-rimmed glasses on his face. "I guess you can say that!" His eyes caught sight of Videl coming down the stairs behind them. "Oh hey, Videl. Look who's here!"

Videl descended the steps and smiled warmly when she noticed the two teens. "Oh wow, how nice of you two to visit us. It seems you're both growing a little more each time I see you! How's life been after graduation?"

"It's been great," Trunks said, nervously scratching the back of his head again.

"Yeah, we're just getting ready for college now," Charisma added with a chuckle. "It's all one thing after the other, you know."

Videl was about to add something to that statement when the TV boomed with the voice of her father rambling on about how he was going to win the next World Martial Arts Tournament.

Charisma giggled and shook her head. "He's really quite something, isn't he?"

"That's my father, all right," Videl said with an exasperated sign.

"He _is_ the World Champ," Trunks explained. "My dad said he helped out in defeating Buu all those years ago."

"Yeah, but I just wish he'd stop taking credit for things he never really did," Videl added as she shook her head. "His act is getting pretty old…"

"So, what brings you two here from West City?" Gohan asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, I almost forgot! I was just looking for Goten," Trunks said. "Do you know where he is?"

"He's out training with my dad in the South Face," Gohan replied. "Your folks are out on there with them, too."

Trunks and Charisma exchanged a glance. "What really? They didn't say anything to me!" Trunks exclaimed. He turned back to Charisma and shrugged. "I guess we'll be heading there, then."

**...**

After departing from Gohan's house, Charisma and Trunks once again took to the skies in search for Goten.

"I'm really surprised they didn't say anything," Charisma remarked. "We could've come along, too, if they'd told us."

"They probably thought I wouldn't want to come," Trunks replied. "Although, I didn't even see them this morning before we left. They were already gone by then."

"Oh well, we'll find them soon anyway," Charisma dismissed it and took a deep breath. The wind blowing through her hair felt nice along with the sun shining warmly on her skin. "It does feel nice to fly freely like this again…It's almost impossible to fly in the city."

"And you said you didn't feel like flying, huh?" Trunks teased her. "I told you it'd be better like this."

Charisma went belly up in the air and looked over at him. Her eyes squinted slightly at the feeling of the sunshine stinging through them. "I guess you were right…I guess…" she grinned at him.

Trunks rolled his eyes at her and stuck out his tongue. "You mean I was right. You were wrong, I was right. Isn't that how it always is?"

Charisma gasped and returned to her normal flying position. "What do you mean? I'm not always wrong. You're always wrong!"

"You're a sore loser, too," he continued with an arrogant smirk, stopping in place and crossing his arms thoughtfully. "I can beat you in poker with my eyes closed. You always have a surprised look on your face when I win, too, as if it'll be any different after playing it a thousand times."

Charisma stopped in her place as well and her pout became more pronounced. "That's because you're always cheating. I don't know how, but you are!" She pointed an accusing finger at him.

"You're funny," Trunks said with a hearty laugh. He came close to her and patted her on the head and messing up her hair further than it'd been with the wind alone.

"You're a jerk," Charisma growled and swatted his hands away. Trunks continued laughing as Charisma repeatedly pounded her little fists against his chest playfully. "You're lucky I don't have it in me to sock it to you, right in the stomach. You're always letting your guard down with me. What makes you think I won't come back someday and knock you out for real?"

Trunks hesitated for a moment and stared down at her. She didn't stop for a second in her little sorry attempt at an assault. The childish pout that remained on her brought a smile to his face for reasons he couldn't explain. "…you love me too much?"

Charisma immediately stopped with her hands paused in midair. She felt a blush creeping across her face and staining her cheeks rosy. She felt an uncontrollable smile coming to her face and turned away from him coyly. There was something about him that made her feel tingly, even down to the tips of her toes.

Charisma twiddled her fingers shyly as she tried to regain some of her composure. She laughed softly and looked back at him from over her shoulder. "…That maybe true…" She winked at him and suddenly flew off.

Trunks froze in his place for a second and a blush quickly replaced the smile on his face. "Is that a yes…?" he mumbled to himself before realizing Charisma wasn't even there anymore. "Ugh, wait! You're going the wrong way!" He called out and took off after her.

"Hey, isn't that them?" Charisma asked with a pointed finger to the ground below a few minutes later. Sure enough, Goten was nearby on the ground, along with Goku.

"Yeah, and there's my mom and dad, too," Trunks replied and began descending.

"Hey, you!" Charisma called out once they neared the ground. Goten looked back from his seat on the grass and waved.

"I don't believe it!" Goten chuckled. "You two actually came all the way out here? That's a surprise. So what's up?"

"Nothing much," Charisma answered as she landed on her feet. "Oh, but Misa says you need to call her more often, Goten! You know how she gets," she added with a raised finger.

Goten laughed nervously. "All right, all right."

"Well, on to more important things," Trunks sighed only to get elbowed by Charisma for his words. He grinned at her. "Anyway, I thought you'd be training for the tournament. Or have you decided to chicken out?"

"I really don't want to go, to be honest," Goten said with a depressed sigh. "My dad is making me do it. I was actually supposed to go on date-" He stopped midsentence when he saw the look on Charisma's face. "I MEAN—other obligations…" He coughed nervously.

Charisma looked unimpressed and crossed her arms. "…I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, all right?"

"Aww, don't worry, Goten," Goku laughed at him. "There'll be plenty of time for those things after the tournament."

"Looks like your son is getting lazy like mine," Vegeta remarked.

"Well it is easy to get soft in times of peace," Goku chuckled. "Oh look, she's back already!"

"Hmm?" Everyone turned to the sky to see a small figure zooming closer from the distances. The little girl zipped through the sky and landed perfectly in front of Goku.

"Grandpa!" she said happily. "I just flew around the world again!"

"Wow, you did it in even less time than before," Goku remarked and patted her head affectionately. "Great job, Pan!"

"Do you think I'll be ready for tomorrow?" she asked cheerfully.

"What?!" Trunks exclaimed. "No way! Don't tell me Pan is entering in the tournament, too?"

"Really?" asked Bulma with surprised. "But there isn't going to be a Junior Division this year, Goku!"

"Oh, she'll be fine," Goku casually replied, while still patting Pan's head. "She probably won't win, but she'll do great!"

"Hmm, that's a good attitude to have," Vegeta said and looked at Trunks. "Guess what? Trunks is entering, too, aren't you son?"

Trunks gasped and shook his head. "What? No!"

"You're entering," Vegeta said as-a-matter-of-factly. "Or I'll cut your allowance in half." Trunks lowered his head in defeat. It would be pointless to argue.

Goten stood up and cheered with is fists in the air. "Yeah! Trunks is entering, too!"

"Wow, so you're both entering in it, now?" Charisma asked cheerfully and raised a fist. "I guess I'll join in, too! It'll be like last time!" She stuck out her tongue and flexed her triceps. "…except I'll win, of course."

"Well, good luck with that!" Goten chuckled with a wave of his hand.

Charisma's smile faded quickly and she turned to glare at Goten. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

**...**

The three friends were left scurrying for the next few days as they urgently tried to get in as much last-minute training as possible. As children, Goten, Trunks, and Charisma spared at almost every opportunity they got. As they grew older, however, those moments of sparing became increasingly uncommon. Sparing session would only take place in cases of extreme boredom.

The following day after their visit to the Son family, Trunks and Charisma sat in the Capsule Corp house, watching television, while waiting for Goten to show up as he'd promised. Their eyes were glazed over with boredom and a look of complete forlorn.

"It's getting late," Trunks commented as he glanced down at his watch. "At this point, we'll never get enough training done for the tournament."

"Maybe something came up," Charisma responded and stretched her arms lazily over her head. "Still, I think he would've called. I can't wait too much longer, either. I have to go visit the college later with Misa…Although, I don't see what you're so worried about," she added with a smirk.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't really have that much to worry about as far as advancing is concerned," she casually explained. "It's not going to be much of a challenge until we face each other."

"I guess," he responded as he cross his arms. "But I don't think any of us want to end up looking bad in front of such a huge crowd."

"True…" Charisma agreed and stood up. She stretched her arms over her head. Her hands opened and closed continuously to stretch the fingers as well. "Well, we might as well start training now while we wait for him. We can just spar with each other for the time being. It'll be like old times!"

"I guess we don't another choice," Trunks said and stood up as well. "I'm getting bored just sitting around like this."

...

Within a few moments, Charisma and Trunks were sprawled outside on the grass and warming up for their training.

"All right," Charisma announced and positioned herself in a battle stance. "Let's get started!"

"If you insist," Trunks replied and got ready as well. "I have to warn you first, though: I don't train that often, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you."

Charisma narrowed her eyes teasingly and scoffed. "Oh, we'll see…"

In a flash, Charisma jumped into the air and charged towards Trunks as fast as she could. After exchanging blows with him at the speed of light, she spun around behind him and latched on to his arms. She flipped him over harshly and he landed on the grass with a loud thud and a groan. She did a series of quick back flips away from him and stood alert.

"How was that? Didn't see that coming, did ya?" she chortled haughtily. Her smile faded when she noticed more than a few seconds had passed and he still hadn't even bothered standing. "Oh come now," she pouted breathlessly. "Don't tell me you've lost your edge. I know you're a lot stronger than that! You don't have to let me win on purpose so that I won't feel bad. I'm not a child anymore."

Trunks took a deep breath and stood up on his feet again. He dusted himself off and turned to face her. "Fine. But don't cry when I don't go easy on you…"

Charisma rolled her eyes and got into position again. "Just come at me! You'll be the one crying."

"As you wish!" Trunks suddenly charged towards her, stomping on the ground harshly.

'Crap, he's so fast!' she panicked mentally. The sound of his footsteps sounded horribly loud in her ears. 'It's been so long since we've last trained! I can't let him see I've faltered.'

Charisma was barely able to slip past him by diving on the ground and somersaulting away. Quickly getting on to her feet, she wasted no time in running after him and attempting a drop kick. Needless to say, she flew past him, swishing the purple strands of hair over his eyes as a breeze blew by.

"Heh, you've gotten slow, Charisma!" he taunted with a cocky tone, earning an annoyed glare from her. "You'll never defeat me like this!"

Charisma kicked up grass and dirt off the ground as she came to a screeching hault and quickly turned around. "Oh shut up!" she grumbled angrily. She really hated it when he prattled on like this, reminding her of her faults in battle and all.

Trunks charged towards her once again, faster than he'd gone before. She froze in her spot as he seemed like nothing more than a blur quickly advancing towards her. Once close enough, Trunks swung a fist at her.

"I've got you!" he cackled proudly. Instead of feeling the impact he expected, however, he felt thin yet strong arms wrap around his waist. He looked behind him to find Charisma had managed to get behind him again and grapple onto him.

"Sorry!" she winked at him cutely, throwing off his guard for a second.

"…C-cheater!" he flustered as he barely exclaimed.

That single second that was just enough for Charisma to flip him over with all her strength and slam him against the ground. The thump of his body seemed to echo louder through the atmosphere than before.

Charisma took a deep breath and grinned. The thought of leaning over and laughing in his face just barely crossed her mind when she began to lose her footing, having landing in a slightly awkward position. She squealed piercingly as she suddenly went down and fell directly top of him with enough force to cause them both to groan painfully. Grass and dirt flew up in the air above them from the impact.

Trunks groused angrily to himself and rubbed the back of his throbbing head. He was sure a big, bright red lump was starting to form there and flinched at touching it. With a rumbling growl, he swiftly looked up at her. "Charisma, you know you're such an-" He was cutoff by his breath getting stuck in his chest. "…idiot…"

A cold sweat ran through his body when he looked up to see Charisma's face lingering only a few centimeters from his. She was so close to him, he swore he could even feel her labored breath on his face. Her cheeks were dyed a rosy pale red, cutely accenting her peach skin, and blond strands of hair sticking to her face with sweat.

'…We haven't…gotten this close…yet…' he mentally noted. His cheeks burned brighter as his lips parted breathlessly.

Charisma propped herself up on her hands and groaned. She resisted the urge to smack herself in the face. "I'm such a klutz…" she cried pathetically. Her eyes slowly opened, her cheeks already colored from embarrassment of having fallen, when she noticed how close Trunks was, as well. The look he was giving her was making her body feel funny all over and she couldn't understand why.

"Eh…Trunks…?" she whispered nervously.

Charisma couldn't even remember what she'd wanted to say. The words dissolved before they became solid enough to escape her mouth. Her eyes studied his face, from his eyes to his lips, and only now realized how much she'd failed at noticing his handsome features before. She swallowed hard as her heart throbbed loudly in her chest, not sure if she'd felt her heart beat this way before.

Meanwhile, from this angle, Trunks came to notice the awkward position they'd fallen in. Her legs were on either side of his hips as she hovered closely above him. She seemed somewhat oblivious to how funny the position really was.

'…we _really_ haven't gotten this close yet…' he reminded himself again as he gulped and sweat ran down the side of his face. '…This is getting bad…but…'

At last, their eyes met at the same time and the look in either had them grown more nervous by the second. It was as if time was standing still and they were waiting for the other to make a move, neither one ready to stand up, and neither one really wanted to, either. They didn't even seem to notice how their faces were levitating closer together as if being pulled together by the force of a magnet.

'I don't know what to do…' Charisma thought shyly. '…But I love being close to you, Trunks…'

Their breaths mixed as Charisma slowly placed her forehead against his and smiled coyly. Trunks jumped slightly at feeling her against him but took a deep breath to relax his jumpy nerves. A smile gently appeared on his face.

'…I think it's time…' he thought to himself, lifting his chin slightly and ready to bring his lips to hers. He hadn't realized until now how badly he'd longed to kiss her lips, to see if they were really as soft and sweet as they looked.

"I'M HERE, GUYS! SORRY I'M LATE!"

Goten's jolly voice came out of no where, immediately extinguishing the fire of the moment and sending Charisma flying off of Trunks as if she'd sat on spikes. It was beyond her how she'd even managed to get onto her feet. Her legs were trembling horribly and she pretended to look at something interesting in the other direction, maybe a bird or an airplane. Goten ran over from his position at doorway of the Capsule Corp house.

"I see you guys got started without me," Goten said joyfully and stretched his muscles. "I'm ready for some action!"

"Ready…?" Trunks mumbled, still on the ground.

"For action?" Charisma ended his sentence. They slowly turned their heads towards each other and their eyes met. Instantly, their entire faces became bright red in the flip of a coin.

Charisma couldn't stop herself from squealing loudly and bringing her hands over her mouth. She dashed madly towards the house. "I-I-I GOTTA GET SOMETHING!" She shouted as she raced past Goten, nearly dragging him along, too.

With a confused expression, Goten turned to Trunks. "What's wrong with…?" He noticed the flushed look on Trunks face.

Trunks shrugged as he slowly sat up and scratched the back of his head nervously. His purple bangs shielded his eyes from Goten's view, yet failed to shield his rosy cheeks. "…I…don't know…"

**...**

"Don't be jealous!" Charisma laughed into her cell phone as she sat down on her bed. She'd just changed into her pajamas and brushed her hair. The room was kept cool by the ceiling fan despite the slight air of mugginess produced by the evening summer winds.

"But you're so lucky," Misa spoke from the other end. "I wish my parents would've gotten me a car for my gradation present. That's really great! Now we can drive around the city and wreak havoc everywhere we go!"

Charisma chuckled and nodded. "That sounds like a lot of fun! Hey, and thanks for coming with me to visit the college today. It would've sucked if I'd had to wander around alone. It's such a big place and all."

"Hey, it's not a problem," Misa replied, but sighed sadly. "It's really such a nice place…I'm kind of jealous of that even more so than of your car…"

"Hey, don't say that," Charisma replied. "Central is such a big and exciting place, too! You'll see so many things there, and meet so many new people. It'll be fun!"

"…I know you're trying to cheer me up," Misa said with a half smile. "…but it's really not working this time. I still can't get over the fact that we're all going to be separated. I really saw the four of us together in life's adventures like this…"

Charisma sighed and threw herself onto the fluffy blue covers of her bed. "You're thinking too much about it again!" she gently scolded. "We really need to do something to get your mind off of it. Maybe we can all hang out together some time before you leave. Just because you're going far from here doesn't mean anything. It won't change anything, you know. So stop thinking it's the end of everything, because it's really not!"

Misa stared up at the sky from her seat beside her bedroom window. "You're right…"

"I really didn't think you'd be so upset about this…"

"Me either, to be honest…but…I still don't know what I'm going to do…"

Charisma sat up slowly. "…what do you mean? There's not really anything you can do about it, is there?"

"…That's not what I mean…"

Charisma paused momentarily before it hit her. "Oh! You…haven't told Goten about it yet? Why haven't you?"

Misa looked down at her lap and shook her head. "…I've tried. Believe me, I keep trying. I just don't know how to say it…I guess I really don't want to go…but what choice do I have?"

Charisma took a deep breath and laid back down on her bed. "…If it's really tormenting you that much, maybe you shouldn't go at all?"

"…If only it were that easy…" Misa sighed. She stood up and sat down on her bed, sinking onto it's warm and soft surface. "Mom and Dad aren't gonna like that one bit. What else is there for me to do besides college, anyway?"

Charisma remained silent, not really knowing what to say. "…Just do your best, Misa. You know, you'll always have me to talk to. And Trunks and Goten, too. But you have to tell Goten that you're going away. You've only got about 2 months before you have to go. The more you put it off, the harder it'll be. What do you think he'll feel if you just up and leave without having told him first?"

"I guess…I'm just scared," she said silently. "…of what he'll say."

"…Just do your best, Misa. Be strong, all right? It'll be fine…I'm sure he'll understand. You know how he is. He wants what's best for you, too, remember?"

Misa nodded. "Yeah…you're right. I'll try. I promise you, I'll do it. I think I'm going to bed now. I need to think about how I'm going to do this, too. Thanks for listening, Charisma."

"No problem!" Charisma replied warmly. "You know you can call me whenever you need me!"

"Yeah, I know, thanks," Misa responded. "Bye…" She hung up her phone and drew her knees closer to her body, resting her head on top of them.

**...**

Charisma was already falling asleep, buried under her warm blanket, when her phone beeped incessantly a half hour after she'd spoken to Misa.

"Ugh," she mumbled sleepily. "…who could be texting me at this hour?" Charisma hand emerged from under the blankets and fumbled on her nightstand for her phone, which she ended up knocking on to the ground. She growled exasperatedly and flipped the covers off of herself to reach for the phone. It only took a few seconds for her eyes to brighten up when she saw the name on the screen. "Trunks!"

'Are you asleep yet?'

"Well, I was," she answered out loud with a roll of her eyes but shook her head and punched at the keys. _'No. What's up? Can't sleep?'_

She laid down back on the bed and anxiously waited for his response. In about two minutes, the phone beeped once again. Charisma quickly opened it and read the message. _'Not really…do you want to do something? We can go out and flying around the city or something. If you want to.'_

"At this hour?" Charisma looked at the digital clock on her nightstand. It's blinking red letters announced '10:15 p.m.' "Oh, it's the perfect time for a walk! What am I saying?"

'_Sure! Give me 10 minutes then come by,'_ she texted back. She set down her phone and hurried to make herself look presentable. She quietly changed into a pair of jeans and put a sweater on over her pajama top. She quickly brushed her hair and set a high ponytail atop her hair.

Charisma sat back down on her bed to wait for Trunks to come by. Her heart seemed to be pounding stronger than before. 'I don't know why I'm so nervous now,' she wondered. Her mind flashed back to earlier in the day. The image of Trunks' face so close to hers made her heart skip a beat again and again. Charisma scratched the sides of her head. 'I'm so nervous!'

Charisma's train of thought was derailed by the sound of a gentle knock on her window. Charisma took a deep breath and headed over to find Trunks hovering outside in front of it. She opened the window and stuck her head out.

"Hey," he greeted her softly. "Sorry to make you come out so late…"

"It's not a problem," she smiled at him. She levitated out of the window and joined him. "Where should we go?"

"Everyone's asleep right now," Trunks said with a sigh and grinned at her. "We can go anywhere…"

Charisma smiled back and nodded. "Let's go over the city," she said. "I always wanted to go star gazing from the top of the tallest building."

"Sounds like a plan," Trunks replied and they both took off downtown.

The pair flew quietly in the dark night skies. Neither of them seemed to know what to say. Even so, the air between them wasn't awkward or uncomfortable, but both of them were thinking about million different things and feeling many different emotions.

Trunks looked over at Charisma. He wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say. He'd forgotten his words soon as she smiled at him wholeheartedly.

She spun around in her place in the air, her hair blowing wildly around her face, and giggled. "…What a beautiful night! The air is so crisp and cool. It's a perfect night for flying…" Charisma sighed happily. "Hey, there's that building! That's the tallest one in the city. Let's go up there."

"All right."

They swerved amongst the other buildings in the area, their eyes squinting slightly from the bright city lights below. Once they'd reached the top of the tallest building, most of the lights didn't reach them anymore and stars were bright and clear.

"The view from up here is amazing," Charisma said happily as she peered over the edge of the building into the distances. Darkened silhouettes of other houses were visible, and even shadowy mountains painted in the distant background. She stretched lazily with her hands over her head and sighed. "It's such a clear night, too. I love it!"

Trunks reached into his pocket and pulled out a capsule. He threw it onto the ground and it popped open into a blanket. Out of his pocket, he also pulled out a small pair of binoculars. Charisma eyes widened with surprise.

"Wow, you came prepared for stargazing, huh?" she remarked with a smile. "You know me so well."

Trunks chuckled as he sat down on the blanket and looked up at the sky. "Yeah, I guess that's true. Your favorite thing to do on a crisp night is look up at the stars."

Charisma jovially took a seat on the blanket beside him. "Yeah. It's even better having you here watching them with me." Their eyes met. "Would it be all right if I moved a little closer?"

"Y-yeah that's fine," he replied, hiding his nervousness. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Charisma chuckled as she shuffled closer to him. She took a deep breath and slowly put her head on his shoulder. There was a long yet comfy silence in between them as their eyes remained glued up to the heavens. Stars were twinkling from afar and reflecting off their eyes.

"…can I tell you something?" Charisma almost whispered, breaking the silence.

"…Yeah…what is it?" he responded after a few seconds.

"…I'm a little nervous."

Trunks looked down at her. "Really? Why?"

"I'm nervous about everything," she confessed, drawing her knees closer to her body. "Everything's happening so quickly. Misa's going to head off and away to college soon. I'm going to college, too. And you? You're starting your internship with Capsule Corp soon, right?"

Trunks groaned silently and swallowed at a curse that threatened to escape his lips. "Don't remind me…"

"And Goten…" Charisma paused for a moment to look up thoughtfully. "Goten…well, I'm not sure what he's doing, to be honest…"

"He's just hanging around…" Trunks said casually.

Charisma looked at him and laughed. "Yeah, that." She looked back up at the sky and stretched her legs out in front of her. Allowing herself to relax, she lay down on to the blanket and drank in the sight of the soft night. "Don't you worry about it sometimes? Life moves really fast. We're all going in our own directions and sometimes…I feel like I don't want it to change. I know it probably sounds stupid, but it feels like we're all moving in different directions for the first time. I'm not used to this feeling, I guess."

Trunks turned his head to stare down at her with the intent comfort her. Looking at her, however, his breath barely escaped him and his words wouldn't come out. His mind replayed the events of that morning: the memory of having her so close during their training was impossible to shake off all day. The feeling seemed to grow stronger at the moment than before, however.

Trunks' blue eyes stared intently at hers while they remained stuck on watching the stars in the sky. His gaze soon traveled down the bridge of her nose and onto her small and peachy-colored lips. Charisma felt his gaze on her and looked over at him quizzically.

"What is it?" she asked, titled her head slightly.

Trunks suddenly cleared his throat and shook his head. "Nothing!" he said quickly, trying to catch himself. "It's just that…there's no use in worrying about it at all."

Trunks slowly stood up and walked over to the edge of the building to stare down at the city below. He needed a little time to compose himself and being next to her wasn't helping with that at all. "That's just how it is," he added calmly. "A lot of things are going to change within the next few years and this is just the start of it. But I'm surprised. It's not like you to look at it so nervously."

Charisma looked down. 'Misa's feelings seem to be rubbing off on me…' she thought to herself. 'But I know she'll be okay…'

Charisma sighed as she sat back up in her place. "Yeah, you're right. I truly believe the four of us will always be together. If we're all together, it'll all be fine. We'll always have each other, right?"

A calm evening breeze ruffled strands of lavender hair past Trunks' eyes. He smiled down at himself and looked over his shoulder to her. "Right," he grinned with a thumb up.

Charisma felt her heart throb a little faster at his smile. She smiled back at him wholeheartedly with rosy cheeks, feeling giddy like a little girl, and got up on her feet. She dusted off her hands before stretching her arms lazily over her head again. She tucked her hands shyly behind her back and looked up at the sky once again.

"I think that's better than any wish a star could grant," she said so delicately Trunks barely heard her. She took a deep breath and coyly glanced over at him again. Their eyes met perfectly on cue. "…You and me, too, right?"

Trunks' heart clenched at her words and the look on her face made him lose his breath for a moment. He took a deep breath.

"I haven't been able to stop thinking of us lately," Charisma explained, her cheeks still red. "We've really been through a lot, haven't we? Not just in high school, but in many ways before that. There were many times when I wondered if you and I were really friends like I am with Goten and Misa. Now, though, I feel like I'm finally starting to understand it."

Trunks looked down and scratched the back of his head nervously. "…We've certainly had our moments…"

"But even so," Charisma continued gently. "Through the good times and the bad, we've both come to accept each other. You're always there for me when I need you, without fail. We've been able to pull through together through everything and all of those awful things that ever happened only brought us closer in the end."

The sound of gravel under Charisma's shoes echoed as she stepped over to stop in front of him. Their eyes studied over each other, reflecting more than just shining city lights and stars. Emotions that they'd collected over the past years welled up inside of them, wanting to spill forth.

"When I think of the future with you," she said softly. "I know it won't be easy. But at the same time, I'm not afraid of it. I look forward to it as long as you'll be there with me."

Trunks stared down silently at her, not really knowing what to say. Anything that he wanted to stay remained stuck within his mind. Instead, he carefully broke the distance in between them, ignoring the slight surprise in Charisma's face. He slowly brought his hands to cup her chin delicately.

She didn't turn away. Her heart was pounding too harshly to let her move. She didn't want to move. His touch sent shivers throughout her body unlike anything else she'd ever felt before. She was lost in his eyes and knew what she wanted. Her eyes slowly shut and he knew it was all right to proceed.

Their lips met timidly at first. Trunks could feel her flinch against him yet press her lips stronger against him. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

No other kiss compared to this. Charisma couldn't remember feeling so much happiness from a kiss. Even in her imagination couldn't adequately compare to feeling him against her. She pulled herself closer to his body, grasping onto his waist and holding onto him tightly.

Her lips were soft and sweet. He never imagined it'd feel like this. Nothing compared to the bliss he felt at the moment, and he didn't want to let her go. But their lips parted after a long moment and they stared breathlessly at each other.

Charisma looked up at him lovingly. All the emotions she'd felt for him since long before she could remember seemingly overflowed from her entire being.

"Trunks…" she said in a shaky voice, exhilarated from the kiss. "…I love you…"

Trunks felt his heart throbbing faster at her words. Was it normal for one's heart to almost hurt at the sound of those words? "…I love you, too, Charisma," he said in a tone soft than she'd ever heard. He pulled her in for another kiss, nipping at her lips, before joining their foreheads together.

"I'll always stand by you, Charisma," he said. "It doesn't matter what happens. Even if the world falls apart, you'll always have me."

"And you'll always have me, too," Charisma smiled up at him happily. "Let's promise to always stay together, no matter what the future brings."

"It's a promise," he agreed and kissed her on the forehead before pulling her in for a warm, tight embrace. She smiled against his shoulder and clenched tighter onto him under the glistening night sky.

* * *

_I hope you liked it! I wasn't sure if 'I love you' here was too soon in the relationship, but in the end I felt that they knew each other long enough to be able to say it ^_^ Anyway, thanks for reading!_


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